#30: Concealed carry holder shoots 7-time felon who tried to kill him, prosecutors say. That man was on bail for a felony gun case.

When a concealed carry license holder shot a gunman in Chicago on Monday, police initially thought it was a botched carjacking. It wasn’t. Prosecutors said on Wednesday that the men knew each other and that the concealed carry permit holder was targeted in a murder attempt by a seven-time felon on bond for a Class X armed habitual criminal gun case.

Willie Barnes, 37, remained hospitalized with a gunshot wound to his abdomen as prosecutors explained what happened during a bail hearing before Judge Charles Beach. He is charged with attempted murder and Class X armed habitual criminal (again).

Barnes is the 30th person accused of killing or shooting—or attempting to kill or shoot—someone in Chicago while on bail for a felony this year. The alleged crimes involved at least 64 victims, 13 of whom died.

A little after midnight on Monday, the 45-year-old concealed carry holder left a club and followed a female friend to her home. After she arrived safely, he continued to his own home.

As he was parking, Barnes, wearing a ski mask, pulled up in a car next to him and began firing, prosecutor Steven Haamid said. The victim returned fire, striking Barnes. Haamid said Barnes had a child with the woman that the victim followed home.

The victim called 911 while keeping his gun trained on Barnes, who cried out about “wanting to live and heal” as he lay on the ground, Haamid said. Police also received two ShotSpotter alerts at the shooting location around 1:27 a.m.

Officers discovered Barnes lying behind a Buick, apparently trying to hide a gun and ski mask behind the vehicle’s rear tire, according to Haamid. He was awake but critically injured. The victim was unharmed.

Haamid said the victim’s home security system recorded the entire incident.

Barnes was charged with a nine-count gun case in 2019, but it ended with a mistrial in June. He was released on bond to await a new trial. Haamid said he is currently on federal supervised release in a federal drug case that earned him a 10-year sentence in 2013. His previous convictions include two robberies and a carjacking in 2004, according to Haamid.

Judge Beach ordered Barnes held without bail for violating bond in the 2019 case and set bail at $250,000 cash on the new charges. Beach noted that state law barred him from holding Barnes without bail because Barnes was not physically present for the hearing.

“Mr. Barnes is not to go back to [the victim’s] address,” Beach added. “I’d venture to say he does not want to, either.”

The “not horrible” series

This report continues our coverage of individuals accused of killing, shooting, or trying to kill or shoot others while on bond for a pending felony case. CWBChicago began our series of reports in November 2019 after Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans publicly stated, “we haven’t had any horrible incidents occur” under the court’s bond reform initiative.

The actual number of murders and shootings committed by people on felony bail is undoubtedly much higher than the numbers seen here. Since 2017, CPD has brought charges in less than 5% of non-fatal shootings and 33% of murders, according to the city’s data.

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#1: Man who tried to shoot 3 outside a North Side restaurant on New Year’s Day had a pending felony case, prosecutors say (January 6, 2022)

#2: Felon awaiting trial for 4 sexual assault cases escaped from electronic monitoring and tried to kill investigators who tracked him down, prosecutors say (January 15, 2022)

#3: With felony gun case pending, man shot passerby during “exchange of gunfire,” prosecutors say (January 23, 2022)

#4: Seven-time felon on electronic monitoring for his 4th gun case tried to shoot and kill his girlfriend’s father, prosecutors say (January 26, 2022)

#5: Teen on electronic monitoring for TWO gun cases carjacked a Lyft driver, then shot a 15-year-old at point-blank range, prosecutors say (February 10, 2022)

#6: Man killed nursing student months after going AWOL from felony DUI case, prosecutors say (February 20, 2022)

#7: Man shot and killed his own brother while on bail for a felony gun case, prosecutors say (February 22, 2022)

#8: Beloved Hyde Park bartender was killed by a robber who has 3 pending felony cases, prosecutors said (March 7, 2022)

#9: Man involved in New Year’s shoot-out that left one dead was on bail for his 3rd gun felony, prosecutors say (March 8, 2022)

#10: An 11-time convicted felon shot a 3-year-old and tried to kill the boy’s mother while on felony bail, prosecutors say (March 11, 2022)

#11: Man allegedly stabbed another to death 4 days after getting released on felony bail (March 29, 2022)