Nearly 20 shots fired following bar fight in Highwood, police say

No one was reported injured when nearly 20 gunshots were fired at and near a Highwood bar early Sunday morning, according to the Highwood Police Department.

Highwood Police Chief Dave Wentz confirmed that police responded around 3 a.m. June 7 to Santi’s Gardens, 324 Green Bay Road, to a report of gunfire, discovering 18 shell casings as well as bullet holes in parked cars and the building at that address, in news first reported Tuesday by Lake & McHenry County Scanner.

Police believe a fight inside the bar led to two men leaving the bar to retrieve handguns and open fire, discharging close to 20 rounds before fleeing the scene in a black SUV.

Wentz said the incident happened as the bar was closing and no people were outside the building when shots rang out. Police are unsure how many were inside the space, “as it cleared out apparently after the incident,” Wentz said via email.

The suspect car reportedly then crashed near Old Elm and Sheridan roads, near Highwood’s border with Lake Forest.

Police apprehended the driver, who reportedly called police to report the crash, while the second man fled on foot, possibly down the train tracks near Fort Sheridan, according to Wentz.

The ensuing hourslong search drew assistance from other area law enforcement and reportedly ended around 8 a.m. The second man was not located and remains at large as of press time (Wednesday morning, June 10).

The apprehended driver was uncooperative and eventually released. Wentz said police at the time only had “circumstantial” evidence “until we get forensics back.” But Wentz confirmed arrest warrants are expected.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office’s K9 unit of Deputy John Forlenza and Lux, who participated in the search, tracked the fleeing offender “for a significant distance” and located two loaded handguns beneath a tree that authorities believe belong to the offenders.

Wentz said police believe the guns are the ones used in the shooting.

“The recovery of those firearms was a significant development in the investigation,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Had they not been found, they could have remained accessible to the offender or fallen into the wrong hands. The investigation remains ongoing by the local police department.”

Word of Sunday’s shooting was still not widespread as of Wednesday, even within the Highwood business community.

Amy Abella works at Da Local Boy restaurant nextdoor to Santi’s and had not heard about the incident until The Record informed her. She called it “devastating” but also noted that gun-related incidents are becoming more common in the area.

Working at Gourmet Frog two door away from Santi’s, Milvian Sanchez agreed and said she doesn’t feel as safe as she used to.

“It’s sad to have a shooting in our neighborhood,” Sanchez said. “It used to be really secure, you know, and now with what happened during the Fourth of July, schools and all this going on, it’s very sad that we don’t feel as safe as we used to.”

Jen Mcleran — who on Wednesday was nannying at nearby Everts Park and has lived in and around Highwood for 45 years — still believes the community is safe; though, she said, escalation to violence seems to come too easy.

“It seems that when people start drinking their first reaction is to have a fight and use a knife or a gun,” Mcleran said. “It’s really become quite sad, almost cultural.” 

When David Offord and Ashley Markazi read an article on Tuesday about the shooting and the manhunt, they were surprised.

They had heard nothing about it, leaving them confused.

“We were out here Sunday morning after it happened and there was no vibe that that happened six hours earlier,” Offord said. 

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