Prosecutors say gang member shot rival
Prosecutors Wednesday in court portrayed an April shooting in Wheeling as gang-motivated revenge.
They said Aaron Bundy, 26, of 1677 Trowbridge Court in Wheaton, shot Guillermo Rocha early April 23 near the 1300 block of Wye Court as retribution for a rival gang stabbing one of Bundy's fellow gang members in March.
An investigation led to Bundy's arrest by Wheeling police June 13 when he was charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated discharge of a firearm.
On Wednesday, Cook County Circuit Judge John Scotillo heard from three witnesses from the prosecution and two from the defense. Bundy's trial is scheduled to finish today.
The night of the shooting, paramedics rushed Rocha to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge after they found him face-down on the pavement with his eyes open, the victim of a gunshot to the chest. Rocha stayed in the hospital for eight days, recovering from a broken rib. The bullet remains lodged in his back.
Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Karen Crothers said Bundy attended a gang party the night of the shooting where he got a .23-caliber semiautomatic gun. A friend drove him and another gang member to the area of the shooting, where they were scouting for members of the rival gang, prosecutors said.
Jurors also saw security camera footage taken the night of the shooting from a department store's parking lot near the crime scene. Prosecutors allege the footage showed Bundy get out of a car to shoot Rocha and also Bundy's getaway. They added Bundy identified himself in the video to police after his arrest.
Bundy's attorney, Daniel Collins, disputed Bundy was on camera, saying his clothing did not match the description of the shooter given by witnesses.
Collins portrayed his client as a family man. Bundy lives in a Wheaton townhouse with his girlfriend and her family, including the couple's 1-year-old son. Collins said Bundy had turned over a new leaf since the birth of his son and avoided staying out past 11 p.m.
The mother of that child, 20-year-old Megan Schlaiss, testified Wednesday that Bundy always was with her and that he couldn't have been involved in the shooting. She said that despite being an active gang member, he was a good father.
Bundy's mother, who sat through the court proceedings, said outside the courtroom that Bundy had another child living away from Wheaton. He attended Glenbard East, but dropped out during his senior year. He had started a new job around the time of the shooting, she said.