Judge orders man accused of opening fire outside Wrigley Field held without bail

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This article was published 20/05/2024 (847 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CHICAGO (AP) — A federal magistrate judge on Monday ordered a man accused of opening fire on a busy street outside Wrigley Field earlier this month to remain in custody without bail.

Raphael Hammond, 37, has been charged with being a felon in possession of a handgun in connection with the shooting, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Hammond was standing outside a bowling alley across from the stadium around 1 a.m. on May 5 when a masked man jumped out of an SUV and shot at him, according to a criminal complaint. Two of Hammond’s friends were wounded.

Hammond ran inside the bowling alley. The attacker jumped back into the SUV, which sped off down the street. Hammond emerged from the bowling alley with a gun and shot at the vehicle as it fled, according to the complaint.

The man’s attorney, Patrick Boyle, requested home detention. He said Hammond saw his friend’s gun on the ground when he ducked into the bowling alley and made a split-second decision to defend himself.

“He was not seeking a confrontation,” Boyle said.

But U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert said Hammond’s criminal background showed he is dangerous. Prosecutors said he has five felony convictions, most recently a federal conviction of being a felon in possession of a handgun. Gilbert also noted that Hammond has been shot 12 times.

“Either you find trouble or it finds you,” Gilbert said. “That’s trouble with a capital ‘T.’”

Prosecutors said the gunman in the SUV remains at large and the motive for the attack remains unknown.