A Lockport man fired four to six shots Tuesday night at two young women after they refused to help him extricate his vehicle stuck in mud along a Mokena creek, according to Will County sheriff’s police.
Nobody was hurt, and police the following day arrested and charged Christopher Haramija, 36, with aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, according to police.
Sheriff’s deputies responded shortly before 11:30 p.m. Tuesday to a call of shots fired in the 12000 block of Whisper Creek Way in Mokena, according to police.
While on their way, deputies were informed a person called police to report hearing about nine shots in the field behind their house and saw a shirtless man in the area of the creek bed.
Sheriff’s deputies and Mokena police who responded saw what was later identified as a Nissan Xterra sport utility vehicle belonging to Haramija stuck in the creek, according to police.
While searching the area, police received notification that two women in their mid-20s had been walking near the creek when a man approached them and asked for help in getting the vehicle out of the mud, police said.
When they declined, Haramija pulled out a gun and fired in their direction, with the women fleeing and calling 911, police said.
Police said while Haramija was no longer at the scene, they were able to identify him through his vehicle’s registration number and a description the women provided. Lockport police attempted to contact Haramija but were not successful, police said.
About 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, Mokena police saw a pickup truck in the same area where the Nissan was located, and they and sheriff’s deputies approached and saw Haramija trying to get his vehicle out of the mud, according to sheriff’s police. When police questioned Haramija, they said he was argumentative and denied firing a gun.
mnolan@tribpub.com