DeKalb man found guilty of shooting man with rifle in West Chicago parking lot

A DuPage County jury on Thursday found a DeKalb man guilty of shooting a man in the face during his dinner break from work in 2021, prosecutors said.

The jury returned its verdict against Ahmad Steele, 38, of DeKalb, after about two hours of deliberations following a three-day-long trial.

Steele was found guilty of one count each of first-degree attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm. Both counts are Class X felonies, which carry maximum prison sentences of 30 years. But the attempted murder conviction could bring with it a harsher sentence – of 25 more years to natural life – since the crime was committed with a firearm, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

The victim, who underwent five surgeries to reconstruct his jaw, died from an unrelated illness in 2023, according to the state’s attorney’s office.

About 7:50 p.m. Jan. 28, 2021, West Chicago police responded to Mapei Corp. on Industrial Drive for a report of a man with a facial injury. Police saw the man walking around the building’s parking lot suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to his face, according to the release.

The victim was taken to a local hospital for medical care.

An investigation found that the victim was sitting in his car in the parking lot during his dinner break from Mapei, authorities said. About 7:30 p.m., a Chevrolet Blazer entered the parking lot and parked several spaces away from the victim. The driver of the Chevrolet, later identified as Steele, exited his vehicle with a shotgun and walked toward the victim’s vehicle, authorities said.

Steele approached the driver’s side of the victim’s car, raised the shotgun and fired into the vehicle, shooting the man, whom he did not know, in the face.

Steele initially returned to his vehicle but then returned to the victim’s car and raised the shotgun a second time before returning to his vehicle and fleeing, according to the release.

On Feb. 6, 2021, Naperville police saw the Chevrolet Blazer suspected to be involved in the shooting driving on Route 59. Police stopped the vehicle and arrested the driver, later identified as Steele, for driving on a revoked license.

Steele was charged Feb. 11, 2021, and was denied bond the following day. He has since remained in custody at the DuPage County Jail, authorities said.

Steele is next expected in court April 29 for post-trial motions and for the court to review a pre-sentence report. He faces 31 years to natural life in prison.