Third man charged in firefighter death
Lynwood resident taken into custody by task force at Lansing hotel
A third man has been charged with murder in connection with a botched Dec. 3 carjacking that left a retired Chicago firefighter dead.
Devin Barron, 20, was arrested Saturday by members of the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force at a hotel in south suburban Lansing, according to Chicago police and Cook County prosecutors. Authorities found three semi-automatic handguns inside his room, prosecutors said.
Barron, of Lynwood, faces firstdegree murder charges for the death of Dwain Williams, as well as a weapons charge.
Judge David R. Navarro denied bail and also approved a petition for no bail for violating the terms of release for a pending stolen motor vehicle case against him.
Two others, one a 15-year-old boy, have already been charged in the shooting death of Williams, a retired Chicago fire lieutenant who traded shots with gunmen as they approached during an apparent ambush. The getaway driver remains at large.
The Tribune has previously reported that police believe the would-be car thieves were members of a “crew” that stole cars in the south suburbs.
Police say Barron was one of two gunmen who emerged from the rear of a stolen black Ford
Fusion that followed Williams’ maroon Jeep Grand Cherokee to a popcorn shop in the 2400 block of West 118th Street in the Beverly Woods neighborhood. They waited for him to come out, and three left the Ford and confronted Williams, 65. He pulled out a revolver from his waistband and exchanged gunfire, police said. Williams was hit once in the abdomen and collapsed. The three got back into the car and sped down Artesian Avenue.
During the court hearing Monday, prosecutors said an eyewitness familiar with all four suspects positively identified them from surveillance videos. A second witness familiar with Barron identified him as the person exiting the Fusion’s rear passenger door with a handgun.
Prosecutors also noted that Barron’s cellphone had synced with the Fusion’s data system after it was stolen. The Fusion was located two days after Williams was shot.
Barron has an extensive criminal history, including five juvenile convictions dating back to 2014, and four pending cases, one involving a home invasion/aggravated kidnapping charge, authorities said.
Barron returns to court next month.