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Two men charged with exchanging gunfire at Oakbrook Center mall crowded with last-minute Christmas shoppers

Two men have been charged with exchanging gunfire at an Oak Brook mall two days before Christmas, wounding five people and sending thousands of last-minute shoppers running for cover.

Bail was set at $1 million each for the suspects: Tyran Williams, 32, charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, and Steve Lane, 29, charged with aggravated battery, aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

Tyran Williams and Steve LaneDuPage County sheriff’s office

Williams and Lane fired at each other near Auntie Anne’s pretzel store at Oakbrook Center after an argument broke out between Williams and Lane’s companion, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said at a news conference Wednesday morning.

Williams, 32, was hit four times, while three women and a man who were in the area were also wounded. Lane, 29, and his companion fled after the shooting.

A total of 12 shots were fired in the gun battle, Berlin said. Mall security estimates that between 15,000 and 20,000 people were in the mall at the time.

Williams and Lane’s companion knew each other and had had a disagreement “some time ago” over a social media post, Berlin said, but it wasn’t immediately clear if that led to the shooting.

Police released a surveillance image of Lane’s companion after the shootout, but Berlin said there is no evidence he was one of the gunmen. Berlin said prosecutors have spoken to the man’s attorney and expect to speak with him soon.

Investigators recovered a 9mm Glock that Williams dropped, and a 9mm Taurus handgun — teal in color — on the ground near Nordstrom’s in the direction Lane had fled, Berlin said. The guns were matched to Williams and Lane through DNA testing, with evidence showing Williams fired five times and Lane seven.

Cuffs on William’s and Lane’s jackets tested positive for gunshot residue, Berlin said.

Both men are from Chicago. Williams has a prior drug conviction from 2016 in Cook County that resulted in probation, while Lane has a previous misdemeanor conviction, Berlin said.

“The facts allege in this case that on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, at the second largest shopping mall in the Chicago area, that these two defendants decided to settle a verbal argument by taking out handguns and firing multiple times with thousands of men, women children and families present are evidence of an unconscionable degree of violence and a complete and utter disregard for the safety of the public,” Berlin said.

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Friendship and football: When the tie that binds is the Bears’ congenital clumsiness

The last text from a friend of mine came after I’d written a column about what’s wrong with the Bears. I’d estimate it was the 247th column I’d written over the past 25 years about what’s wrong with the Bears.

“George McCaskey asked for your address,” he wrote. “Virginia wants to send you a rosary.”

I responded: “I’m Catholic. They can’t play that card with me!”

This is another column on the subject of Bears ineptitude, and I have a pretty good feeling my friend would have agreed with this one. If at any point during the writing of this I start working the beads, the prayer will be for a complete overhaul at Halas Hall. I won’t be the only one praying.

Based on years of observing the Bears in the wild, I suspect they’ll fire head coach Matt Nagy and retain general manager Ryan Pace after this wretched season. It’d be like firing only the monkey when the axing should include the organ grinder. And that would be so like the Bears. It would be so much like them I’d be shocked if it didn’t happen that way.

Pace has been a failure. There’s no metric that would alter that view. The Bears’ record during his seven-year tenure is 47-64 with one winning season and two wild card game losses. With the Bears’ record at 5-10, the arrow is not pointing up. It’s bent. Pace took Mitch Trubisky with the second overall pick of the 2017 draft, and it was one of the most disastrous decisions in franchise history. He should have been fired for that sin alone, but the managerial pacifism of the McCaskeys saved him. He hired Nagy to coach Trubisky and then, after the Trubisky debacle, to coach Justin Fields. That has been a similar calamity, and only Fields’ tantalizing athleticism has made any of this palatable.

The McCaskeys always move in the direction of comfort. They don’t want tension and confrontation. To fire Pace would be to remove the buffer separating them from the unpleasantness of not just firing Nagy and others but from having to hire Pace’s replacement. Understand this about the family: They need people to lean on. If they remove Pace, they’re face down on the ground mumbling something about the good, old days of the T-formation.

You might ask yourself how a family raised on football, a family that has football blood running through its veins, could know so little about the thing that has brought it fortune. This is one of life’s greatest mysteries. You would think a revelation might have broken through enemy lines at some point, allowing a McCaskey to identify a genuine football candidate. But in the 38 years of McCaskey ownership, hardly a one.

One rumor going around is that Bears president Ted Phillips will move into a different role after the season and that the team will hire a guru to oversee the entire football operation. Phillips is the one who says he’s not involved in important football decisions but always shows up center stage whenever the team makes an important football decision. So, no, not at all involved.

The problem with hiring a guru, at least as it relates to the Bears, is that someone has to do the hiring. This has always been the team’s problem under the McCaskeys because, when you peel back all the layers, you realize that the first hire, the First Cause, was done by a McCaskey. The result has been a waterfall of bad hires over the years.

This was behind one of my friend’s texts. He said he could imagine the Bears firing Phillips and then hiring someone a few offices down at Halas Hall to replace him.

“I want to read that column!” he texted.

“That development would be the end as we know it,” I replied.

Sometimes I wonder about the long-term emotional effect the Bears have on the people who follow them and the people who cover them. All that incompetence. All that ridiculousness.

My friend smiled whenever he saw me coming, amused by the cudgel I always carried for the Bears. He was critical and fair when it came to the team, but he enjoyed people like me who were not bound by any restraints.

One time, when he was talking with a prospective employer, I jokingly told him I’d do the negotiating for him.

“It’s your delicate touch around people that I know will put me over the top,” he texted.

“You’re the only one who gets me,” I responded with a wink.

This column’s for you, my friend. Rest easy.

Friendship and football: When the tie that binds is the Bears’ congenital clumsiness Read More »

Bears QB Justin Fields to return to practice

Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields’ injured ankle has improved enough for him to return to practice later Wednesday, coach Matt Nagy said.

That puts him on the right track toward playing Sunday against the Giants — but it’s far from a guarantee. Nagy said the Bears will spend the week monitoring how Fields’ ankle reacts to practice before making a decision on whether he can play.

“That’s what we’re working through right now, is his health,” Nagy said.

Andy Dalton, who is the Bears’ No. 2 quarterback when healthy, will return from a groin injury, too. Nick Foles, who started — and won — Sunday’s game in Seattle, is the only one of the three quarterbacks who isn’t somewhat limited by injury. That makes splitting up snaps this week a complicated proposition.

Nagy said Fields’ ankle has improved in recent days but that the team still needs to see how he feels this week.

Another rookie will be on the practice field, too — Nagy said tackle Teven Jenkins, who hurt his shoulder in the first quarter Sunday, will participate Wednesday.

Bears QB Justin Fields to return to practice Read More »

The Chicago Bears don’t lose anything by letting Matt Nagy finish out the seasonAnish Puligillaon December 29, 2021 at 6:55 pm

Chicago Bears (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The best news I received this past Monday was the news that Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy would indeed finish out the season. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Nagy being fired would provide more short-term satisfaction for Bears fans followed by long-term disappointment.

If Nagy were to be fired – or informed he was going to be fired, as many fans clamored for, the Chicago Bears would have been able to kick off their next coaching search and schedule interviews with a number of potential head coaching candidates in these last two weeks of the regular season.

However, consider who would be leading those interviews: it would be Ryan Pace. If management had decided they wanted to take advantage of these two weeks, it would be a clear sign that Ryan Pace’s job is much more secure than people have been speculating. No coach would want to entertain an opportunity with a team whose general manager is on an unsteady footing with ownership and so, if Pace was permitted to interview coaches, it would likely be with a verbal understanding from ownership that an extension was imminent.

Had they fired both on Monday – or informed them rather, it would have made more sense than just firing one. However, since that didn’t happen – holding onto both for the remaining two weeks was a more sound decision than letting one go. In fact, their decision to not make any decisions signals that bigger changes are in store for the Chicago Bears front office.

The Chicago Bears are in store for a massive organizational shakeup

The reason fans should be elated that no decision has been made on neither Pace nor Nagy is that it signals that chairman McCaskey and president Ted Phillips are distancing themselves from the decision-making process. If McCaskey and Ted were taking responsibility for the next faces of the Bears front office and coaching staff, then surely some decisions would have been made today. After all, they would be the ones conducting interviews and making hiring decisions so not taking advantage of these next two weeks would be tantamount to organizational malpractice.

What their recent inaction does indicate is that they’re probably looking into hiring someone new to run football operations (like how the Bulls hired Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley) and then let those new hires make decisions on Matt Nagy. Arturas was brought in as Gar Forman was let go, and ultimately ownership allowed AKME to make the final call on Jim Boylen.

This is what needs to happen for the Chicago Bears. McCaskey and Ted need to focus on finding the right guy to give the keys to the franchise, and then let that person be the sole driver behind the wheel. This new hire’s decisions will indicate the new direction of the Chicago Bears to prospective coaching candidates – and that’s ultimately what will draw more people to this coaching vacancy.

Letting someone new make all the final decisions is a great sign the Chicago Bears have learned from the past

The Chicago Bears have a lot going for them: charter franchise, a rookie QB with immense potential, a solid roster filled with young promising talent, expiring veteran contracts, and lastly, plans for a new stadium.

This should be the best job on the open market for coaches and league executives, not to mention it’ll be coupled with non-invasive ownership. If ownership doubles down on this by actually hiring a true president of football operations while Ted and George turn their attention to the new stadium, things could turn around rather quickly for this organization.

Additionally, regarding these next two weeks of scouting coaching candidates, there are a few things to consider. First off, I would much rather have the Bears wait to hire someone to run the entire coaching search than have it be polluted by George and Ted’s analysis. Secondly, people around the league are aware of what the Chicago Bears are attempting to build around Justin Fields so if the Bears wait a couple of extra weeks to call the great candidates will wait. No one is going to take the Jacksonville job over the Bears if the opportunity presents itself.

Lastly, there are surprising coaching candidates on the market every single year. I know everyone’s been dreaming about Sean Payton, but there could be other candidates that become surprisingly available. Even if your favorite candidate gets hired in these next two weeks, it’s not the end of the world – the Bears can still get their guy if they can first hire the right president of football ops and general manager to find them.

Ultimately, this is where ownership’s focus needs to be: on hiring the Chicago Bears’ first-ever true president of football operations. George and Ted scouting coaches before sorting this out would be a great distraction from what needs to happen first. Hire the right president, let them do the rest.

Next:Ryan Pace’s shortcomings were clear as day in Bears SNF loss to Vikings

The Chicago Bears don’t lose anything by letting Matt Nagy finish out the seasonAnish Puligillaon December 29, 2021 at 6:55 pm Read More »

Sources: Mavs adding Thomas on 10-day dealon December 29, 2021 at 7:40 pm

2:34 PM ET

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Former All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas has agreed to a 10-day hardship deal with the Dallas Mavericks after the team had two more players enter the NBA’s health and safety protocols, sources told ESPN.

Center Boban Marjanovic and guard Brandon Knight entered the protocols Wednesday after testing positive for COVID-19, sources said.

Thomas, who averaged 9.3 points in four games for the Los Angeles Lakers on a hardship deal this month, is expected to join the Mavericks in Sacramento for Wednesday night’s game against the Kings.

Dallas has had nine players enter the league’s health and safety protocols this month, including superstar Luka Doncic. All remain in the protocols except for forward Reggie Bullock, who has been cleared after missing the past five games.

Thomas, 32, was a two-time All-Star for the Boston Celtics before a serious hip injury derailed his career. He has spent most of the past two seasons out of the NBA, playing a total of seven games on 10-day deals with the New Orleans Pelicans in April and Lakers this month.

Knight is on a 10-day hardship deal with the Mavericks, averaging 10.0 points and 2.7 assists in the past three games.

Sources: Mavs adding Thomas on 10-day dealon December 29, 2021 at 7:40 pm Read More »

Wednesday’s high school basketball scores

Please send scores and corrections to [email protected].

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

NOBLE LEAGUE – BLUE

Rauner at Noble Street, 7:00

BHRA-HERITAGE

IMSA vs. Milford, 5:00

BLOOMINGTON / NORMAL

Small Schools

Winnebago vs. Olympia, 2:00

Tri-Valley vs. Bloomington, 12:30

McNamara vs. Aurora Christian, 12:30

Notre Dame (Quincy) vs. East Dubuque, 2:00

Sacred Heart-Griffin vs. Rockford Lutheran, 7:00

St. Joseph-Ogden vs. El Paso-Gridley, 8:30

Normal (Calvary) vs. Annawan, 12:00

Providence-St. Mel vs. Rock Falls, 1:30

11th Place, 6:30

Consolation Championship, 8:30

7th Place, 8:00

5th Place, 7:00

Large Schools

Lincoln-Way West vs. Mahomet-Seymour, 11:00

Springfield vs. Bradley-Bourbonnais, 9:30a

North Lawndale vs. Brother Rice, 9:30a

Rock Island vs. Peoria Central, 11:00

Normal vs. Wheaton-Warr. South, 4:00

Metamora vs. East St. Louis, 5:30

North Chicago vs. Joliet Central, 9:00a

Harlem vs. University High (Normal), 10:30

11th Place, 3:30

Consolation Championship, 5:30

7th Place, 5:00

5th Place, 4:00

CENTRALIA

Belleville West (JV) vs. Champaign Central, 8:30a

Glenwood vs. Lausanne (TN), 10:00

Cahokia vs. Carmel, 3:30

Kipp (MO) vs. Centralia (JV), 9:15

Mt. Vernon vs. Confluence (MO), 12:30

Romeoville vs. Vashon (MO), 2:00

Evanston vs. Muhlenberg (TN), 6:00

Centralia vs. Belleville West, 7:45

COLLINSVILLE

Alton vs. Wasilla (AK), 9:00a

Edwardsville vs. Triad, 9:00a

Belleville East vs. Oakville (MO), 10:30

Althoff vs. Rockford East, 4:30

Madison vs. Mundelein, 12:00

Lincoln vs. Granite City, 1:30

Quincy vs. Collinsville, 6:00

MacArthur vs. O’Fallon, 8:00

DE KALB

West Chicago vs. Ogden, 9:00a

DeKalb (JV) vs. Freeport, 10:30

LaSalle-Peru vs. Belvidere North, 1:30

Geneseo vs. Dundee-Crown, 12:00

Yorkville vs. East Moline, 3:00

Guilford vs. Plainfield East, 4:30

DeKalb vs. Huntley, 6:00

Geneva vs. Naperville Central, 7:30

EAST AURORA

East Aurora vs. Plainfield Central, 1:00

Clemente vs. Wheaton Academy, 2:35

Neuqua Valley vs. East Aurora/Plainfield Central,

Third Place, 5:45

EASTLAND

Sherrard vs. South Beloit, 9:00

Galena vs. Forreston, 10:00

West Carroll vs. Sherrard, 11:30

Pecatonica vs. Byron, 1:00

Eastland vs.South Beloit, 2:30

EFFINGHAM / TEUTOPOLIS

at Teutopolis

Pleasant Plains vs. Centennial, 9:00a

Charleston vs. Lutheran North (MO), 10:30

Lincoln-Way East vs. St. Anthony, 12:00

Newton vs. Teutopolis, 1:30

at Effingham

Mattoon vs. Horizon-Southwest, 9:00a

Belvidere vs. Dixon, 10:30

Knoxville vs. Oak Lawn, 12:00

Brooks vs. Effingham, 1:30

at Teutopolis

13th Place Semi-Final, 4:30 (at Effingham)

Consolation Semi-Final, 4:30

5th Place Semi-Final, 6:00

Semi-Final, 7:30

at Effingham

13th Place Semi-Final, 6:00

Consolation Semi-Final, 4:30

5th Place Semi-Final, 6:00

Semi-Final, 7:30

ERIE-PROPHETSTOWN

Orion vs. Stockton, 12:00

Morrison vs. Amboy, 12:00

Mercer County vs. Lena-Winslow, 1:30

Erie-Prophetstown vs. Stark County, 1:30

Riverdale vs. Beecher, 7:30

Fulton vs. Newman, 7:30

GREENVIEW

Grace Christian vs. TBA

HINSDALE CENTRAL

Willowbrook vs. Glenbard East, 12:30

Oak Forest vs. Richards, 2:00

Lincoln-Way Central vs. St. Charles East, 3:45

Morton vs. Auburn, 5:15

Stevenson vs. Hinsdale Central, 7:00

Homewood-Flossmoor vs. Oswego East, 8:30

IC CATHOLIC / WESTMONT

at IC Catholic

Elmwood Park vs. Walther Christian, 3:00

Perspectives-MSA vs. Reavis, 6:00

St. Edward vs. Esienhower, 4:30

Evergreen Park vs. IC Catholic, 7:30

at Westmont

Westminster Christian (BYE)

Aurora Central vs. Westmont, 6:00

Glenbard South vs. Christ the King, 4:30

Hoffman Estates vs. Taft, 7:30

JULIAN

Harlan vs. Holy Trinity, 10:00

Urban Prep-Englewood vs. Richards (Chgo), 12:00

UC-Woodlawn vs. Crane, 2:00

Julian vs. Butler, 4:00

KANKAKEE

Small Schools

St. Anne vs. Cissna Park, 12:00

Clifton Central vs. Grant Park, 9:00a

Manteno vs. Momence, 3:00

Adams-Friendship (WI) vs. Herscher, 6:00

Large Schools

Jones vs. Dimond (AK), CNL

Bremen vs. Legal Prep, 1:30

Shepard vs. Schurz, 7:30

Lindblom vs. Kankakee, 4:30

KISSIMMEE (FL) – GAYLORD PALMS RESORT

Chicago Christian vs. Pinellas Park, 10:00

MAINE EAST

McHenry (BYE)

Argo vs. Kennedy, 2:30

Ridgewood (BYE)

Vernon Hills vs. Bulls, 5:30

Maine East vs. Addison Trail, 2:30

Metea Valley vs. Antioch 4:00

Elk Grove vs. Lane, 6:00

Westinghouse vs. Niles West, 7:30

MARSEILLES

Woodland vs. Indian Creek, 9:00a

Wilmington vs. Gardner-So. Wilmington, 10:30

Hall vs. St. Bede, 12:00

Dwight vs. Earlville, 1:30

Somonauk vs. Kewanee, 3:30

Serena vs. Marquette, 5:00

Putnam County vs. Flanagan-Cornell, 6:30

Seneca vs. Reed-Custer, 8:00

MINNEAPOLIS (MN) – NORTH CENTRAL U.

Orr vs. Houston Yates (TX), 5:00

NORTH BOONE

Alden-Hebron vs. Durand, 2:00

Harvard vs. North Boone, 3:30

PEKIN

Pekin (JV) vs. Normal West, 11:00

Comer vs. Limestone, 12:30

Richwoods vs. Pekin, 2:00

Lanphier vs. Lake Zurich, 11:00

Moline vs. Pattonville (MO), 12:30

Washington (IL) vs. Boylan, 5:00

Morton (IL) vs. Mount Carmel, 6:30

PINE BLUFF (AR)

De La Salle vs. Ritter (MO), 2:15

PLANO

Hinckley-Big Rock vs. Sandwich, 9:00a

Mendota vs. Newark, 10:30

Coal City vs. Morris, 12:30

Plano vs. Streator, 2:00

Ottawa vs. Lisle, 3:30

Longwood vs. Kaneland, CNL

Burlington Central vs. Yorkville Christian, 7:00

Northridge vs. Notree Dame (Peoria), 8:30

PONTIAC

Lockport vs. Manual, 9:30a

Plainfield North vs. Warren, 8:00a

Danville vs. Bloomington, 2:30

Pontiac vs. Bloom, 6:00

West Aurora vs. New Trier, 1:00

Simeon vs. Oak Park-River Forest, 11:00

St. Charles North vs. Curie, 4:00

Benet vs. Joliet West, 7:30

Consolation Semi-Final, 9:00

PRINCEVILLE

DePue vs. Galva, 2:00

Peoria Heights vs. Henry-Senachwine, 3:30

Elmwood vs. Princeville, 6:30

Ridgewood (IL) vs. Midland, 8:00

PROVISO WEST

Lincoln Park vs. Thornton Fr. North, 9:00

Bogan vs. Crete-Monee, 12:30

Proviso West vs. Hammond Central (IN), 2:00

Farragut vs. Morton, 4:00

Clark vs. Kenwood, 6:00

Proviso East vs. Young, 7:30

RICH

Dunbar vs. Phillips, 10:30

Vocational vs. Rich, 9:00

Agricultural Science Thornwood, 1:30

Thornton Fr. South vs. Fenger, 12:00

Hillcrest vs. Perspectives-Lead, 4:30

Thornton vs. Hyde Park, 3:00

WHEELING

Waukegan vs. Maine West, 10:30

Hampshire vs. Mather, 10:15

Buffalo Grove vs. Wheeling, 2:00

Deerfield vs. Notre Dame, 3:45

Glenbard North vs. Fremd, 5:30

Glenbrook North vs. Prospect, 7:15

Glenbrook South vs. Libertyville, 8:45

WILLIAMSVILLE

Roanoke-Benson vs. Illini Central, 9:00

YORK

Stagg vs. St. Laurence, 10:00

Palatine vs. Wheaton North, 11:30 (Non-Conf)

Naperville North vs. Minooka, 1:00

Tinley Park vs. Lemont, 3:00

Batavia vs. St. Patrick, 4:30

Conant vs. Highland Park, 6:00

St. Francis vs. York, 7:30

Schaumburg vs. Timothy Christian, 10:30

St. Ignatius vs. Hinsdale South, 12:00 (Non-Conf)

Providence vs. Montini, 1:30

Lake Forest vs. Rolling Meadows, 3:30

Leo vs. Gkenbard West, 5:00

Lyons vs. Sandburg, 6:30

Bolingbrook vs. Andrew, 8:00

Wednesday’s high school basketball scores Read More »

The Chicago Bears are losing a competitive advantage by not firing Matt NagyRyan Heckmanon December 29, 2021 at 2:00 pm

The Chicago Bears have just two games remaining in a fairly disappointing 2021 season. This was never going to be a Super Bowl campaign, but to say Bears fans aren’t just a little surprised at how bad it’s gotten would be a lie. Head coach Matt Nagy added more speed to his offense while the […]

The Chicago Bears are losing a competitive advantage by not firing Matt Nagy – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & More

The Chicago Bears are losing a competitive advantage by not firing Matt NagyRyan Heckmanon December 29, 2021 at 2:00 pm Read More »

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