A Michigan man who was arrested with a gun minutes after a River North nightclub employee was shot Friday night has been “excluded as the shooter at this time,” a prosecutor said while announcing weapons charges against him.
Qudre Mitchell, 30, is instead charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. A judge on Sunday said he could return to Michigan after he posts a $2,000 deposit toward his bail.
Police said a 46-year-old man was shot by a bar-goer who opened fire on nightclub security guards after being denied entry to a club on the 300 block of West Erie around 11:35 p.m. Friday.
Some witnesses told officers that Mitchell, who was standing on a nearby side street, might be the shooter, prosecutors said. Video provided to CWBChicago shows a large group of police officers closing in on Mitchell:
Cops who approached Mitchell allegedly saw a large bulge in his right hip and lifted his shirt to discover a loaded 9-millimeter handgun with a laser sight and an extended magazine in his waistband.
After the shooting, CPD said in a media statement that officers took the shooter into custody. But prosecutors on Sunday said Mitchell is not believed to be responsible for the shooting.
Mitchell was once charged with carrying a concealed weapon in Michigan, but prosecutors said they did not know the outcome of the case.
Assistant Public Defender Courtney Smallwood said Mitchell works as a painter and lives with his girlfriend and two children, ages 2 and 7.
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