Exchange of gunfire in Harvard leaves 18-year-old injured; 17-year-old charged

A 17-year-old Harvard boy faces felony charges in connection with an exchange of gunfire Sunday that left an 18-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his lower leg, Harvard police said.

The Harvard Police Department responded at 10:22 p.m. Sunday to the 1300 block of North Division Street for a report of gunshots, according to a news release. While en route, officers learned that an 18-year-old was being treated for a gunshot wound at Mercyhealth Hospital and Medical Center in Harvard.

According to a preliminary investigation, the 18-year-old and 17-year-old were at the Harvard Shell station, 1300 N. Division St., in a vehicle when they were approached by two or three people on bicycles.

“[W]ords were exchanged, which led to the two groups exchanging gunfire before everyone fled the scene,” Harvard police said in the release.

The 17-year-old was arrested about 10:30 a.m. Monday and charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, reckless discharge of a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, possession of a firearm without a firearm owner’s identification card and possession of ammunition without a FOID card, according to the release.

He was subsequently transported to the Kane County Juvenile Detention Center.

The shooting remains under investigation by the Harvard Police Department, with continued assistance from the McHenry County Major Investigation Assistance Team and the McHenry County SWAT Team.

Anyone with information on the incident can call the Harvard Police Department at 815-943-4431 or use the Harvard Crime Stoppers Tip Line anonymously by calling 815-943-4343.