The Mount Prospect Police Department reported on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 that and a suspect in a shots fired incident at McDonald’s on Rand Road near Elmhurst Road and Kensington Road was arrested. Police report that on Friday, August 1, 2025, the Mount Prospect Police Department charged Bashkim Rockwell, 38 years-old, of 206 8th Avenue, Sterling, Illinois, with one felony count of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm, two felony counts of Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding Police, one misdemeanor count of Fleeing and Eluding Police, and one misdemeanor count of Speeding 35 MPH or more over the limit. These charges stem from an investigation into the discharge of a firearm that occurred on July 25, 2025, at McDonald’s at 13 W. Rand Road in Mount Prospect.
CHARGES
• one felony count of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm
• two felony counts of Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding Police
• one misdemeanor count of Fleeing and Eluding Police
• one misdemeanor count of Speeding 35 MPH or More Over the Limit.
On Friday, July 25, 2025, at approximately 12:58 AM, the Mount Prospect Police Department responded to the McDonald’s, 13 W. Rand Road, for a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, officers learned the driver of a dark colored sedan had pulled alongside a Honda Pilot at the drive-thru window, and that the driver of the dark sedan tried to speak with four 16 year-old juvenile occupants in the Honda Pilot. The driver of the Honda then pulled forward to the next drive-thru window. The driver of the dark colored sedan pulled past the Honda while pointing a black colored handgun at the ground out of the car window. The juveniles reported hearing what they believed to be a gunshot as the sedan was at the front of the Honda. The dark colored sedan then sped out of the parking lot and fled the immediate area. The four juveniles were not injured, and a 911 call was placed to report the incident. Damage was located on the side of the front bumper of the Honda Pilot, and was consistent with a vehicle being struck by a bullet.
Mount Prospect Police Crime Scene Technicians collected a shell casing and other evidence from the scene.
Later during early morning hours after the shots fired incident at approximately 1:40 a.m. on July 25, 2025, a Mount Prospect police officer was traveling in the area of Kensington Road and Wheeling Road when he observed a dark colored sedan, and the driver of the sedan matched the description from the shooting at McDonald’s. The officer followed the sedan into the nearby neighborhood and was able to obtain the license plate of the sedan. The officer attempted to make a traffic stop on the sedan. The driver of the sedan failed to stop, and fled at a high rate of speed. During the pursuit, the sedan continued to gain distance from the officer’s vehicle, which was traveling more than two times the speed limit. Due to the high rate of speed, disregard of red lights and the concern for the safety of the community, officers made the decision that it would be safer to the community to apprehend the offender at a later date. The vehicle pursuit was terminated.
Mount Prospect police officers and detectives were able to identity the offender as Bashkim Rockwell during the investigation. With the assistance of Whiteside County Sheriff John Booker and his deputies, Rockwell was taken into custody on July 31, 2025, in Sterling, IL.
After reviewing the facts of the case with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Rockwell was charged with one felony count of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm, two felony counts of Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding Police, one misdemeanor count of Fleeing and Eluding Police, and one misdemeanor count of Speeding 35 MPH or more over the limit. Rockwell appeared at a detention hearing on August 2, 2025, where he was ordered detained until a court appearance scheduled for August 29, 2025, at 9:00 AM in room 108 of the 3rd District Court of Cook County in Rolling Meadows.
The public is reminded that criminal charges are not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
— Mount Prospect Police Department
“We take cooperation between Law Enforcement agencies seriously–especially when it involves someone discharging a firearm near juveniles. I am proud of our Deputies for working quickly and professionally to bring Mr. Rockwell into custody. When someone commits a violent act in another community and tries to hide in ours, they’ll find out fast that Whiteside County is not the place to run.”
— Whiteside County Sheriff John F. Booker (via thecity1.com)
Media archives and court records indicate Bashkim Rockwell has a criminal history or arrest history in Illinois back to 2005, including cocaine drug charges in 2015. Also, a Possession of Firearm/FOID Revoked hit in 2013 in Lee County Circuit Court (FOID Expired, Firearm FOID Revoked, Possession/Use of Firearm). Bashkim K Rockwell was convicted for Possession of a Firearm with FOID expired and not eligible on March 7, 2013. He was found guilty of MFG/DEL 1<15 grams of cocaine/anlg on February 1, 2007 in Lee County. He also faced multiple traffic related charges over the years, and an Order of Protection in Lee County in 2005.
Bashkim Kertish Rockwell was found guilty of burglary on February 12, 2007 in Winnebago County 17th Judicial Circuit Court.
Bashkim Rockwell has no active record published by the Illinois Department of Corrections, according to records searched at 12:14 p.m. Wednesday, August 13, 2025.
[caption id="attachment_638752" align="aligncenter" width="678"]
McDonald’s drive-thru at 13 West Rand Road in Mount Prospect (CARDINAL NEWS).[/caption]
INITIAL REPORT FROM MOUNT PROSPECT POLICE DEPARTMENT 7/25/2025 3:00 PM
“Police Department Investigating Reckless Discharge of a Firearm”
“On Friday, July 25, 2025, at approximately 12:58 AM, the Mount Prospect Police Department responded to the McDonald’s, 13 W. Rand Road, for a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, officers learned a dark colored sedan had pulled alongside a Honda Pilot at the drive-thru window, where the sedan driver tried to talk with the four 16 year-old juvenile occupants. The Honda then pulled forward to the next drive-thru window. The driver of the dark colored sedan pulled past the Honda while pointing a black colored handgun at the ground out of the car window. The juveniles reported hearing what they believed to be a gunshot as the sedan was at the front of the Honda. The dark colored sedan then sped out of the parking lot and fled the immediate area. The four juveniles were not injured and called 911 to report the incident. Damage on the side of the front bumper of the Honda was located and was consistent with being struck by a bullet.
Mount Prospect Police Crime Scene Technicians collected a shell casing and other evidence from the scene.
At approximately 1:40 AM, a Mount Prospect Police Officer was traveling in the area of Kensington Road and Wheeling Road when he observed a dark colored sedan and the driver of the sedan matching the description from the shooting at McDonald’s. The officer activated his emergency lights to attempt to stop the sedan. The sedan failed to stop and continued to drive, disobeying red lights and driving at a high rate of speed. The officer was unable to continue following the sedan safely and ended the pursuit.
The offending vehicle is described as a dark colored Chevrolet sedan. The offender is described as a white male, approximately 40 years-old, with a shaved head, a brown colored beard, wearing a white colored shirt.
The Mount Prospect Police Department continues to investigate this incident and request anyone with information that might assist with this investigation to contact the Investigations Section at 847-870-5654.”
Stay informed with news from The Cardinal’s Emergencies Behind the Scenes Facebook page — Facebook.com/CardinalEmergencies. Includes links to favorite public safety and emergency rescuers and product manufacturers and safety companies that have facebook pages. Submit your pictures or just stay up-to-date on with fire, rescue, EMS and police photo galleries. Please add your public safety photo to the wall album — go direct to the Arlington Cardinal Emergencies Behind the Scenes photos. For a list of all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages, go to Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …
Help fund The Cardinal Arlingtoncardinal.com/sponsor
