Judge blocks jail release for man charged with shooting at Joliet mayor’s car dealership

One of the suspects in a shooting that damaged vehicles at the Joliet mayor’s Hyundai dealership was heard on video saying he was going to try to “hit that car,” prosecutors said.

Terrance Petty, 23, of Gary, Indiana, and a 15-year-old boy were apprehended and charged with recklessly firing a gun and rifle Aug. 12 that damaged vehicles at D’Arcy Hyundai, 2000 Essington Road, Joliet.

The business, which is owned by Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy, is considered the largest Hyundai dealership in North America.

The shooting reportedly originated from the 1900 block of Delrose Street, which lies a short distance west of D’Arcy Hyundai, according to a court filing from prosecutors to deny Petty’s release from jail.

Prosecutors requested that Petty stay in jail under the pretrial provision of the SAFE-T Act because “anyone traveling, doing business or living” in the area where the shooting occurred “would have been in danger of being struck by the projectiles that were fired.”

On Monday, Will County Judge Donald DeWilkins barred Petty’s release from jail because he found that Petty posed a “real and present threat” to the safety of other people and the community, court records show.

Joliet police detectives obtained videos from residences in their investigation, and in one of the videos, one of the two suspects in the shooting could be heard saying, “I’m going to try and hit that car,” prosecutors said.

A witness told police that one suspect fired a handgun and another suspect fired a rifle “in the direction of [D’Arcy Hyundai],” prosecutors said.

The shooting damaged a Hyundai Sonata sedan, a Tucson SUV and a Santa Fe SUV, the latter of which is owned by a dealership employee, prosecutors said. The vehicles were parked at the business.

A witness saw the vehicle that the suspects were in, followed them, confronted them and obtained their vehicle information, prosecutors said.

On Aug. 17, security guards at Louis Joliet Mall saw Petty with an “exposed handgun,” prosecutors said. Officers arrived, recovered the loaded handgun and identified Petty as the suspect seen in the videos of the shooting, prosecutors said.

Petty saw the video and admitted that he was the suspect in that video, prosecutors said. Petty admitted that the gun he had on him at the mall was the same one used Aug. 12, prosecutors said.

“[Petty] stated it was OK for him to have a handgun because he was from Indiana,” prosecutors said.

Officers learned that Petty apparently does not have a valid concealed carry license from Indiana or Illinois, prosecutors said.

During the investigation, officers recovered an “AK-47-style rifle” from a vehicle seen at the scene of the shooting.