Police from Arlington Heights received a report on Saturday, July 3, 2021 that shots were fired about 12:30 a.m. Friday, July 2, 2021 in a parking lot at 120 West Boeger Drive in Arlington Heights. Following an investigation, Arlington Heights police officers arrested Demonta Murray, age 19, of Chicago at 5:54 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, 2021, at the same address at 120 West Boeger Drive. Demonta Murray was arrested after he exited a 2-story permanent supportive housing building where residents with disabilities are subsidized by the Housing Authority of Cook County, and where Demonta Murray apparently also lives with a family member at the Arlington Heights address. Demonta Murray was charged with Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm.
Gun or Theatrical “Prop” Images
According to a witness of the arrest of Demonta Murray on Thursday afternoon, July 15, 2021, the photo above, which was retrieved from the Facebook.com/demonta.murray page, is the same person that was arrested. Therefore, the image from the personal Facebook page is described by CARDINAL NEWS as a person with a likeness of the actual suspect, or is an actual photo of the actual suspect.
During the month of July 2021, the Facebook page Demonta Murray (Two Foe) timeline included at least 13 images or referrals to videos of guns or theatrical “props” that were provided by the user of the Facebook account. The images of guns or theatrical “props” were provided as 1) photos in the timeline, 2) Facebook video(s) in the timeline or 3) links to YouTube videos in the timeline. Some of the guns or theatrical “props” are equipped with illuminated laser sights that are displayed while people are dancing in music videos.
A witness said that on Thursday afternoon, July 15, 2021, police surrounded the permanent supportive housing building, and when the suspect exited the building, police order him to get down on the ground. The suspect complied, he was arrested, and was transported in custody to Arlington Heights Police Department Headquarters.
A witness stated that on Friday, July 2, 2021, apparently a drug transaction was taking place in the parking lot of the 2-story permanent supportive housing building at 120 West Boeger Drive in Arlington Heights. Multiple shots were fired at a vehicle parked in the lot. The shots were allegedly fired by a family member of a resident that is approved and subsidized to live in the building by the Housing Authority of Cook County. After the shots were fired, the driver of the targeted vehicle fled the scene, and the shooter ran to a vehicle parked on Boeger Drive. The driver of that vehicle also fled the scene. The number of occupants in each vehicle were initially unknown. Initially no injuries were reported.
The shooter was described as a male/black possibly in his late teens or early 20s.
Arlington Heights police assigned investigators to the scene, and a witness stated police found at least four casings on the ground in the parking lot on Saturday, July 3, 2021.
The crime scene was located just east of a child daycare business near the southeast corner of Dundee Road and Arlington Heights Road. The crime scene is also described as located near the tall radio tower just south of Buffalo Grove High School.
The arrest of Demonta Murray was also connected to a warrant for an undisclosed offense in Chicago. The shots fired incident apparently remains under investigation by the Arlington Heights Police Department.
A bullet hole was discovered in a damaged window of a second-floor residence directly above the front entrance to the building. The damaged window with the bullet hole has been in disrepair since March 2020 (at least 16 months ago), and is believed to have been shot through the glass from inside out at the alleged shooter’s family member’s residence.
A witness said that residents have frequently seen unknown people coming to the front door of the building with a gun tucked in the front of their pants.
Heart’s Place at 120 West Boeger Drive is a privately owned and operated 18-unit permanent supportive housing (PSH) community with one- and two-bedroom apartments. Residents of this development are required to pay 30% of their income in rent while the Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC) subsidizes the remainder. According to HACC, Heart’s Place offers supportive services through its relationships with community-based service provider organizations. To be eligible for Heart’s Place, applicants must have a verifiable disabled status and need support services in order to live independently. Applicants currently on the HACC’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program wait list will receive a preference over other applicants. The building is fully occupied and the HACC waiting list was closed around the time the building was open for residents. Heart’s Place opened in September 2019.
DEVELOPING …
Some of the information in this article is an early report published before complete summary information was confirmed or released by police authorities.
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