Man pleads not guilty to murder, attempted murder charges in Bolingbrook WeatherTech shooting case

A Chicago man has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of murdering a fellow co-worker and attempting to murder two other co-workers in a shooting at the Bolingbrook WeatherTech facility.

On Wednesday, Charles McKnight, 27, was arraigned on charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery.

McKnight was arrested June 25 after he was accused of killing Central Hightower, 37, and wounding Curtis Moore III, 25, and Elvis Thomas, 43, at the WeatherTech facility that’s between Remington Boulevard and WeatherTech Way. All four men worked at the facility.

A grand jury returned an indictment on July 14 that alleged McKnight shot and killed Hightower and attempted to kill Moore and Thomas, both of whom suffered gunshot wounds. Moore was taken to a nearby hospital following the shooting while Thomas was treated and released.

McKnight made his court appearance on video while at the Will County jail. He was wearing a light blue face mask and dark blue jail uniform.

Will County Judge Dave Carlson asked McKnight if he was still going to obtain a lawyer.

“Sir, I still don’t know,” McKnight said.

Carlson appointed Will County Assistant Public Defender Christopher Benson to represent him at Wednesday’s court hearing. Benson said Shenonda Tisdale, another assistant public defender who was not at the hearing, had already filed motions to preserve evidence and to obtain state’s evidence in the case.

Carlson assigned McKnight’s case to Judge Sarah Jones. McKnight’s next court date is slated for Aug. 17.

In a statement following the WeatherTech shooting, Bolingbrook Police Chief Mike Rompa said two-coworkers had been robbed by McKnight before the shooting and that Moore was one of the victims of that robbery.

The July 14 indictment did not have robbery charges filed against McKnight. On Wednesday, Bolingbrook police Capt. Anthony Columbus said the robbery charges are pending and will require additional investigation.

McKnight has been booked into jail on a $5 million bond. He’ll need to post 10% of that amount or $500,000 for his release from jail.

That bond was set by Judge Elizabeth Dow following a June 26 bond hearing. At that hearing, Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Peter Wilkes said the state’s evidence at the time would show multiple witnesses identified McKnight as the man who fatally shot Hightower and wounded Moore and Thomas.

Wilkes said Hightower and Moore were working on Saturday when they were involved in an altercation with McKnight in a bathroom inside the WeatherTech facility.

Hightower and Moore reported to other WeatherTech staff that McKnight stole a watch belonging to Moore and he had a gun, he said.

Wilkes said that after Hightower and Moore reported the robbery, McKnight walked up to them, pulled out a handgun and shot Hightower at a close distance. Moore ran, McKnight gave chase and fired shots at Moore, he said. One of those shots hit Thomas, Wilkes said.

Following the shooting, officers were able to catch McKnight, who was found hiding in a pine tree in a backyard in the 500 block of Larkespur Lane in Bolingbrook, Wilkes said. The area is a short distance away from WeatherTech. Officers recovered the watch believed to have been stolen, he said.

In McKnight’s interview with police, he admitted to being in altercation with Hightower and Moore in the bathroom and taking Moore’s watch, Wilkes said.

“He stated this is the first time he ever shot anyone,” Wilkes said.

Wilkes said the shooting incident had been captured on surveillance video.