Crime & Safety

Fight over RV Turns into Gun Free-for-All, Police Say

Two Joliet men are accused of trying to fire a gun at a man with whom they were arguing, Joliet police said.

Two Joliet men twice tried to shoot a neighbor with whom they were fighting over a recreational vehicle parked on the street, Joliet Police Capt. Tab Jensen said.

Justin A. Kowalski, 28, and James P. MacMillan, 26, both of 1010 Valley Ave., came to the neighbor's home at 606 Henry St. at about 4:20 p.m. Friday to demand the RV be moved and an argument ensured, Jensen said.

At one point, Kowalski pulled up his shirt to show that he had a gun in his waistband, which the victim grabbed from him, he said. MacMillan attacked the victim, knocking the gun to the floor, allowing MacMillan to retrieve it and attempt to fire a shot, Jensen said.

However, because the fall dislodged the magazine and there was no bullet in the chamber, the weapon did not fire, he said.

The victim then knocked the gun out of MacMillan's hand, allowing Kowalski to retrieve it. Kowalaski also tried to fire it at the victim, but encountered the same problem as MacMillan, Jensen said.

By this point, police had arrived on the scene, observed Kowalski with the gun and took both him and MacMillan into custody, he said.

The suspects were charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated assault and mob action. MacMillan was also arrested on a failure-to-appear warrant issued by the Lemont Police Department.

Both are being held in the Will County jail, MacMillan in lieu of $55,000 bond and Kowalski in lieu of $35,000 bond.


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