CHICAGO — A 66-year-old grandmother was carjacked at gunpoint in a South Side Aldi parking lot while her 6-year-old grandson stood nearby, according to Cook County prosecutors — an incident that ended with a high-speed chase and crash just miles away.
The shocking daytime attack occurred around June 8 outside the Aldi at 620 West 63rd Street in Englewood. The woman was retrieving her purse from the trunk of her 2024 black Buick SUV when a man armed with a handgun approached her and demanded her keys, “grappling” with her before driving off in the vehicle.
Caught on Video, Caught in Real Life
The entire confrontation was captured on surveillance video, which later played a key role in identifying the suspect.
Police say 18-year-old Keshawn Gilmore was behind the wheel of the stolen SUV when it was detected by license plate readers on the Dan Ryan Expressway later that afternoon. Officers began tracking the vehicle as it headed toward 19th and Albany around 5 p.m. — with two passengers also inside.
When officers attempted a traffic stop, Gilmore fled at high speeds, blowing through red lights and stop signs before crashing the SUV near 3200 South Kedzie. One of the passengers, a juvenile, was ejected from the back seat in the impact.
All three occupants tried to flee on foot, but Gilmore was captured nearby. At the time of his arrest, he was still wearing the same clothes seen in the Aldi surveillance footage, prosecutors said.
Guns Recovered Inside Vehicle
Police found a Glock handgun on the driver’s side floor — the same shape and model as the weapon seen in the store parking lot footage. A second handgun was discovered on the passenger side, authorities added.
Gilmore was ordered held without bond by Judge Shauna Boliker, who called him a “public safety threat.”
Charges Filed
The 18-year-old now faces multiple serious felony charges, including:
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Aggravated vehicular hijacking
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Aggravated fleeing from police
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Aggravated unlawful possession of a firearm
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Unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle
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Resisting police
Prosecutors noted that the case highlights the danger of youth gun violence and carjackings, especially when young children are nearby.
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