Man Accused of Firing 32 Rounds at Car While on Electronic Monitoring for Gun Case
A man who was already on electronic monitoring for a pending gun case is now facing new charges after allegedly firing 32 rounds at a car following a shooting outside his home.
Talen McChriston, 23, was shot while standing on the porch of his house on May 1. Instead of calling the police, prosecutors say McChriston grabbed a rifle and opened fire on the fleeing gunman’s vehicle, sending dozens of rounds down the block.
Surveillance video captured the incident, and footage from the University of Chicago Medical Center showed McChriston arriving for treatment in the same clothes he wore during the shooting. He is now charged with reckless discharge of a firearm endangering others.
Judge Shauna Boliker ordered McChriston detained on the new charges and for violating the conditions of his release in his pending gun and stolen vehicle case. At the time of the incident, he was wearing an ankle monitor for a case in which he is accused of illegally possessing three guns and a stolen car.
In the previous case, McChriston was spotted by a Chicago police helicopter team driving a stolen Mercedes-Benz. When the helicopter lost sight of the vehicle, surveillance footage allegedly showed McChriston and others abandoning the Mercedes and switching into a stolen Volkswagen. They were arrested after fleeing from the VW.
Prosecutors found a semi-automatic rifle, a stolen 10mm handgun, a .45-caliber handgun, a car key programmer, and ten key fobs in a backpack dropped by McChriston while fleeing from police. Surveillance video confirmed his possession of the bag.
Judge Mary Marubio initially detained McChriston on New Year’s Eve, but he was released on electronic monitoring on February 5. Almost three months later, he was shot while standing on his porch.
McChriston is the 18th person accused of shooting or attempting to shoot someone in Chicago this year while on felony pretrial release.
The “Not Horrible” Series
This report is part of our ongoing coverage of individuals accused of committing violent crimes while on pretrial release for a felony. This series began in November 2019 after Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans made comments about the court’s bond reform initiative.
The number of murders and shootings committed by individuals awaiting trial for felonies is likely higher than reported. Since 2017, charges have been brought in less than 5% of non-fatal shootings and 33% of murders in Chicago. For more stories in the “Not Horrible” series, click here.
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