Gunshot heard inside vehicle in one of two firearms investigations by Naperville police

A DuPage County judge on Friday rejected pretrial release requests from two men charged in separate gun-related crimes in Naperville.

The cases involve Tony Thompson, 19, of Joliet, who was charged with possession of a machine gun, and Trensae Ware, 24, of Naperville, who was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm. Both are felonies.

Authorities said Naperville police stopped a vehicle for expired license plates at about 8 p.m. Thursday, which had just turned out of a Wendy’s parking lot. The vehicle appeared to “jerk partially in the roadway, coming close to the officer’s vehicle,” police said.

While speaking with the driver, the officer heard what sounded like “the slide of a handgun rack from inside the vehicle.” The officer asked for backup and when help arrived, asked Thompson, who was in the passenger seat, to step out, authorities said.

During a search, police found a Glock 17 9 mm firearm, with a switch capable of making the firearm fully automatic, under Thompson’s seat and took him into custody.

Thompson, of the 400 block of Hillside Road in Joliet, was also charged with possession of a firearm and no FOID, and two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

In a second disturbance, police officers were traveling behind a vehicle they said was driven by Ware at about 8 p.m. Thursday. They heard what sounded like a gunshot come from inside and observed the vehicle “lightly swerve and shake.”

Officers made a traffic stop and found a cannabis shake and open bottle of tequila. As the four people in the vehicle stepped outside, a spent shell casing was observed on the driver’s seat when Ware exited, authorities said.

Police made a search and secured a loaded .45 caliber firearm from under the front passenger seat.

“The bullets contained in the firearm matched the spent shell casing found on the driver's seat,” officials reported. “Near where the driver's left foot would have been while seated, officers observed a bullet hole entrance leading outward from within the vehicle, and they observed no exit hole.”

Gunshot residue was found on Ware’s hands and police located a 9 mm handgun in the rear passenger compartment.

Ware, of the 1500 block of West Jefferson Avenue in Naperville, was also charged with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.

Berlin commended Naperville police saying, “their commitment to public safety is second to none. Once again, their efforts have led to the removal of dangerous weapons from those who are not legally allowed to possess them.”

“We will continue to proactively patrol our town and work to get those who are illegally in possession of firearms held accountable,” Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said in a statement.

Judge Joshua Dieden granted DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin’s separate requests seeking denial of pretrial release.

Both cases are scheduled for arraignment on July 1.