64-year-old detained fired shots during road-rage furor on the Dan Ryan: prosecutors – CWB Chicago

A 64-year-old man was taken into custody for allegedly discharging a firearm at another vehicle during a road-rage incident on the outbound Dan Ryan Expressway.

Ronald Willis was apprehended after authorities linked his vehicle to the scene, where the victim reported being followed at approximately 5:11 a.m. on September 29, near 31st Street, as stated in the detention petition.

Illinois State Police officers responded to gunfire reports that morning and spoke with a 26-year-old motorist who reported hearing two shots before a bullet hit his Chevrolet Malibu. He described a red SUV pulling up alongside his vehicle, with the driver honking and wildly gesturing before firing again from the passenger side. One bullet struck the Malibu’s right rear taillight, according to the prosecutor’s statement.

The victim pursued the SUV while contacting 911, but police dispatch advised him to cease following it. He stopped near 57th Street to await law enforcement.

Investigators identified Willis’s red SUV through license plate reader data, confirming it was directly behind the victim’s vehicle prior to the shooting. Troopers arrested Willis during a traffic stop near his residence.

During questioning, Willis allegedly confessed to firing the weapon on the expressway, claiming the other driver had repeatedly cut him off. He stated he fired two shots into the air out of fear for his safety. He then claimed to have pulled alongside the vehicle and shot another round upward to “frighten” the other driver, asserting he had no intention to harm him, as outlined in the police report.

Law enforcement reportedly discovered the firearm at Willis’s residence following a court-authorized search. Judge Ankur Srivastava ordered Willis to be detained on charges of aggravated discharge of a firearm towards an occupied vehicle.

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