Shots fired outside the funeral home visitation Monday for murder victim Christopher Perry Jr. sent Joliet police in pursuit of a suspect described as a Hispanic male, but no arrest was made, Cmdr. Rich Demick said.
The man is accused of standing in the parking lot of the Minor-Morris Funeral Home, 112 Richard St., at about 4:25 p.m., firing several rounds and then fleeing, Demick said.
Joliet police officers in the area heard the gunfire and were able to recover the 9mm handgun used by the suspect, which he threw away as he fled, but the man could not be located, Demick said.
The gun is being processed, and it's not known if police were able to find any fingerprints or evidence that would lead them to the shooter, he said. A house at nearby 103 Union St. was struck by an errant bullet.
It's also not known if the man's action was in response to 24-year-old Perry's murder in a drive-by shooting a week ago and the service being held for him Monday. Police said last week that the slaying was definitely gang-related.
Perry and another man were targeted as they were getting into a vehicle in front of Perry's home in the 200 block of Hunter Avenue, police said. Perry was declared dead at Presence St. Joseph Medical Center on Jan. 22; his friend's injuries -- bullet wounds to the shoulder and leg -- were not life-threatening.
Minor-Morris owner Terry Morris, who's also a Joliet City Council member representing District 5, said he was not at the funeral home Monday night and was unaware of the shooting until police told him about it. He said no other unusual incidents occurred during the visitation or the funeral, which was held Tuesday.
"Everything was quiet, very quiet," Morris said.
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That's an insult. These gang member thugs are nothing but a scourge on decent society and deserve only prison or death. Good riddance.