DeKalb shooting update: victim identified from Rochelle, shooter went to Sycamore High School

DeKALB – An 18-year-old Rochelle man has been identified as the victim who died in a shooting Thursday in DeKalb’s north side, and DeKalb County court records show witnesses saw his alleged killer, who attended Sycamore High School, before and after the homicide.

Jacob Zamora, 18, of Rochelle, died from multiple gunshot wounds at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital Friday after he was shot at an apartment complex at 835 Edgebrook Drive Thursday night, DeKalb County Coroner Denny Miller said Monday.

Police said another 18-year-old pulled the trigger.

Adam D. Koertner of the 900 block of Greenbrier Road, was charged with first-degree murder Friday. Koertner has Sycamore connections though his last known address is in DeKalb.

Also attended Sycamore High School and his mother taught in Sycamore School District 427 until 2016, according to the website, although she now teaches in Rockford. Koertner was denied bail Saturday, and is scheduled to appear in front of DeKalb County Judge Robbin Stuckert for a second bond hearing Tuesday morning at the courthouse.

Neither Zamora nor Koertner were residents of the Ridgebrook Apartment complex, 835 Edgebrook Drive, and police continue to piece together why they may have been in that building, since the investigation still is ongoing, DeKalb police Cmdr. Bob Redel said.

DeKalb police responded to a report of shots fired in the 800 block of Edgebrook Drive about 11:15 p.m. Thursday.

When officers arrived, they found Zamora suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in a hallway of the 835 Edgebrook Drive apartment complex.

Zamora was treated by DeKalb police until DeKalb Fire Department paramedics arrived. Paramedics took him to Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital, where he later died from his wounds.

Witnesses said Koertner entered the apartment complex just before the shooting, according to DeKalb County court records, and then saw Koertner run out of the building after shots were fired. Their accounts were corroborated by surveillance footage from surroundings buildings, records show.

Another witness said Koertner made a statement indicating that he had committed the shooting, records show.

Records show Koertner

has no criminal history

DeKalb County court records show that Koertner did not have any criminal history apart from a traffic citation for following too closely in 2019, and has not yet paid the $251 fine.

Koertner attended Sycamore High School as a member of the class of 2019 and was on the Boys Wrestling Team at the high school, according to the website roster.

His mother was a teacher in Sycamore District 427, according to the district
website, but now works in
the Rockford Public School district, according to the website.

Court records show Koertner used to live in the 1100 block of Dunkery Court in Sycamore, but had moved to the 900 block of Greenbrier Road in DeKalb, where police arrested him Friday without incident.