Cops Arrest Eugene McLaurin for Allegedly Shooting Two Undercover ATF Agents
Authorities have arrested a man in connection to a shooting that left two federal agents and a Chicago police officer injured.
Eugene McLaurin, 28, was taken into custody Wednesday morning and charged with one count of using a dangerous and deadly weapon to assault a special agent from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Two ATF agents and an officer from an ATF task force were participating in a federal investigation when the shooting occurred near the 22nd District police station in the city's Morgan Park neighborhood shortly before 6 a.m.
The officers noticed a white Chevrolet Malibu sedan following their vehicle and took note of the license plate number, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
The driver of the Malibu pulled up alongside the officers' car, rolled down their window, and began firing shots. All three officers were wounded.
The officers were treated in a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and released later Wednesday evening.
The Malibu was located by law enforcement in front of a house on the 200 east block of 89th Street in Chicago. Officers found two 9mm shell casings located on the driver's side of the car's windshield. Three 9mm shell casings were also recovered from the scene of the shooting.
Authorities saw McLaurin in the backyard of a house next to where the sedan was parked. The officers who interacted with McLaurin at the house reported he "appeared sweaty and visibly nervous."
McLaurin told police he was with his girlfriend that morning and was dropped off at the residence shortly before officers arrived, according to the complaint.
An ATF agent then took a photograph of McLaurin and sent it to one of the victims. The victim said that McLaurin's hair matched that of the shooter, but that they couldn't positively identify him based on the photograph.
McLaurin was placed in custody and taken to a police station for questioning. Authorities say he waived his Miranda rights and agreed to speak to the police.
In the interview with investigators, McLaurin admitted he was driving the Malibu and followed the officers' vehicle because he believed it was filled with "opps"—referring to rival gang members.
According to the complaint, McLaurin told authorities he used a Glock 9 millimeter pistol, which he purchased for personal protection, to shoot at the car. After the shooting, he said threw the gun down a drain.
The investigation remains ongoing. The charge against McLaurin is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, according to the Department of Justice.
