CHICAGO, IL – A federal judge ruled on Monday that Raphael Hammond, a man implicated in a shooting incident near Wrigley Field earlier this month, will remain in custody without bail. The 37-year-old Hammond faces charges of being a felon in possession of a handgun, related to the shooting.
The incident occurred in the early hours of May 5, when Hammond was outside a bowling alley opposite the stadium. According to the criminal complaint, a masked individual leapt from an SUV and fired shots at Hammond, resulting in injuries to two of Hammond’s companions.
Following the initial attack, Hammond took refuge in the bowling alley as the shooter retreated to the SUV and sped away. Hammond then emerged from the bowling alley, armed with a gun, and fired at the fleeing vehicle.
Patrick Boyle, Hammond’s attorney, argued for home detention, stating that Hammond had picked up a friend’s gun dropped during the chaos and had acted in self-defense. “He was not seeking a confrontation,” Boyle said.
However, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert pointed to Hammond’s criminal history as evidence of his dangerousness. Prosecutors noted that Hammond has five felony convictions, including a federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a handgun. Gilbert also highlighted that Hammond has been shot 12 times. “Either you find trouble or it finds you,” Gilbert said. “That’s trouble with a capital ‘T.’”
Authorities are still searching for the unidentified shooter who initially attacked Hammond, and the motive behind the attack remains unclear.