Man who served prison stint for 2018 Joliet shooting arrested on drug, gun charges

A man who spent about two years in prison for a 2018 shooting in Joliet that wounded three men has been arrested again on charges of unlawful possession of a handgun and drugs.

A drug investigation by the Will County Sheriff’s Office’s Gang Suppression Unit led to the execution of a search warrant Wednesday at a residence in the 400 block of Western Avenue in Joliet.

Deputies knocked on the rear door of the residence and announced the search warrant, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.

After deputies received “no answer or compliance,” they breached the door of the residence and found Alonzo Gadson, 43, who was taken into custody without incident, police said.

Gadson has addresses listed in Springfield and Naperville, court and jail records show.

Deputies’ search of the residence Wednesday led to the discovery of a 9 mm handgun “inside of a bag in the bedroom” that belonged to Gadson, police said.

Deputies also found “23.1 grams of packaged cocaine and over $3,200 in cash” on Gadson, police said.

Gadson was arrested on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, armed violence, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and being an armed habitual criminal, police said.

Gadson has been on parole from prison since May 23.

In 2021, Gadson pleaded guilty to shooting three men during a 2018 confrontation at Eden Bar and Grill in Joliet.

Prosecutors initially charged Gadson with attempted murder but dropped the charge in exchange for his plea of guilty to aggravated discharge of a firearm.

Based on the sentencing order, Gadson was ordered to serve a prison sentence that calculated to about four years and 10 months.

In 2022, Gadson motioned to modify his plea, court records show. He pleaded guilty to aggravated battery and aggravated unlawful use of a felon.

Under the new sentencing order imposed on Gadson, his actual time in prison was set to about four years and two months.