DeKalb man accused of attempted murder in Saturday shooting denied release

DeKALB – A DeKalb man accused of attempted murder in a West Hillcrest Drive shooting Saturday was denied pretrial release by a judge this week.

Dante Temple, 35, appeared before DeKalb County Circuit Court Judge Marcy Buick for a hearing Tuesday as he faces first-degree attempted murder charges in the early morning shooting that left one man with serious injuries.

Temple, who’s represented by the DeKalb County Public Defender’s Office, was denied pretrial release at the request of prosecutors, according to DeKalb County court records.

Temple is charged with attempted first-degree murder, being an armed habitual criminal, two counts of armed violence, three counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, two counts of criminal damage to property and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. If convicted of the most serious crime, attempted first-degree murder, he could face up to 30 years in prison.

In court filings this week, prosecutors with the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office had argued that releasing Temple – a convicted felon who’d been sentenced to a cumulative 19 years in prison on three separate convictions dating between 2008 and 2021, court records show – would put the public in danger.

In her ruling, Buick cited the violent nature of Temple’s charges, records show. She also ordered him to have no contact with the injured man or witnesses.

Temple will remain held at DeKalb County Jail in Sycamore without release pending future trial dates. He’s expected to be appear next at 9 a.m. June 20.

Responding to reports of gunfire early Saturday morning in the 800 block of West Hillcrest Drive, DeKalb police found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg and seven .22-caliber bullet casings on the roadway, according to court records.

The man shot suffered serious injuries that were not life threatening and was taken by DeKalb paramedics to Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital. He was then transferred to OSF St. Anthony’s Hospital in Rockford “for critical care due to his gunshot wound,” police said in court records.

DeKalb police investigators believe the shooting was a drive-by involving two vehicles, according to court records. The man shot was driving a 2018 Honda CRV, which also had damage on the rear driver’s side door from two bullets. A third vehicle nearby, a 2017 Nissan Versa, also was damaged by gunfire.

Witnesses told police that they saw a gun fired from a four-door black 2022 Ford Edge which then headed west on West Hillcrest Drive about 2:30 a.m., according to court records.

Surveillance video and witness interviews connected police investigators to Temple, who is alleged to have been the only person inside the SUV at the time of the shooting. Temple was arrested later Saturday morning at a Ridge Drive apartmen , according to court records.

During the investigation, Temple allegedly admitted to police that he fired the gun at the vehicles.

Temple has multiple felony convictions in Illinois, according to court records. On Sept. 7, 2021, Temple was convicted in Cook County of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and sentenced to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. On Oct. 31, 2012, he was convicted in Cook County of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and sentenced to three years in prison, according to court records. On July 3, 2008, Temple was convicted of aggravated vehicular hijacking of a handicapped person and sentenced to nine years, court records show.

Temple was on parole at the time of the Saturday shooting, according to the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office.