A man who allegedly fired a gun into a Loop convenience store door during an argument can go home on electronic monitoring by posting a $500 bail deposit, a Cook County judge said Monday.
The altercation between 26-year-old Vashon Thompson and another customer began shortly before 2 a.m. Monday at 7-Eleven, 58 East Lake, according to prosecutors and CPD records. Other male customers began interjecting as the confrontation escalated.
When Thompson and the other men tried to leave, they discovered that the store’s front door was locked, prosecutors said. So, Thompson allegedly took out a gun and fired several rounds at the door, then fled.
Police used the downtown surveillance camera network to locate a suspect, and officers arrested Thompson near State Street and Lake Street after a foot chase. He allegedly tossed a loaded handgun under a CTA bus during the pursuit. Cops recovered it.
According to a police report, officers also found shell casings inside the store and saw bullet holes in its front door.
Thompson is licensed to own firearms in Illinois, but prosecutors said he does not have a concealed carry license. They charged him with reckless discharge of a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, criminal damage to property, and resisting arrest.
Judge John Lyke set bail at $5,000 and said Thompson must go onto electronic monitoring after posting a 10% deposit.
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