Joliet teen charged with 2022 shooting outside school seeks release from jail

Prosecutors are fighting against the release of a Joliet teen who is charged with shooting another teen who was playing basketball with other youths last year outside an elementary school.

On Sept. 19, Douglas DeBoer, an attorney for Gabriel Rodriguez-McSwine, 18, motioned to have his client released from the Will County jail with the elimination of cash bail in Illinois under the SAFE-T Act.

Rodriguez-McSwine is charged with the attempted murder of a 17-year-old boy he wounded in a May 15, 2022, shooting at Meadow View Elementary School, 2501 Mirage Ave. The school is within Joliet city limits but has a Plainfield mailing address.

Police recovered seven 9 mm shell casings from the drive-up lane to the front entrance of the school, according to a petition filed by prosecutors Sept. 19 to deny Rodriguez-McSwine’s release from jail. Four holes were discovered on the exterior of the building.

“[Rodriguez-McSwine] is a danger to the community, as he shot a juvenile who was playing basketball at an elementary school during the day with multiple other children around,” prosecutors said in the petition.

A judge may decide whether Rodriguez-McSwine should be released on Oct. 19.

The 17-year-old boy who was shot had been playing basketball with three other youths at the school, prosecutors said.

The four of them went to the east side of the school by the front door when a vehicle occupied by Rodriguez-McSwine “came up in the drive-thru lane of the school,” prosecutors said.

Rodriguez-McSwine was in the front passenger seat with a few other people, and he was armed with a black pistol that had a green laser sight, prosecutors said.

Witnesses said someone from inside of the vehicle told the group of youths, “Check it out, come here,” prosecutors said.

When the 17-year-old boy and other youths approached the vehicle, Rodriguez-McSwine fired several shots, prosecutors said. The 17-year-old was shot in the leg.

Witnesses said they heard up to five or seven shots, prosecutors said.

After the shooting, the vehicle left the scene.