Joey Gonzalez, 27, was convicted of Second-Degree Murder, a class 1 felony, two counts of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm, a class x felony, three counts of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm, a class 1 felony, and one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a felon, a class 2 felony

After the verdict, Lake County State’s Attorney stated, “Shooters will be held responsible for the death and destruction they are causing. Our trial teams are securing justice in the courtroom, and survivors are hopefully receiving some solace by these verdicts. Our victim specialists will continue to support them through their careful, trauma-informed practices.” 

The jury trial began on Monday, June 10, lasting five days. The jury heard from many witnesses, including law enforcement, forensic experts, and eyewitnesses who were present in the parking lot the day of the shooting. 

On November 27, 2021, Gurnee Police Department officers and the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force responded to a report of shots fired at the Gurnee Mills parking lot. When officers arrived, they located Jonathan Denicolas, 26, being aided by a good Samaritan. Denicolas was transported to a hospital where he succumbed his injuries.  

Law enforcement officers eventually learned through phone records, eyewitnesses, and surveillance video that Denicolas had arranged to meet with Gonzalez the day of the shooting. Gonzalez was eventually arrested and taken into custody in August 2022 by U.S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force.  

Gonzalez decided to take the stand in his own defense and claimed self-defense even though there was no evidence of Denicolas shooting at Gonzalez, and no weapons were recovered from the area of where the shooting took place.  

Before the trial, Gonzalez was being held in the Lake County Jail on a $10 million bond. (This cash bond was set by a judge in 2022, before the effective date of bail reform which now prevents individuals charged with murder from posting bond if a judge so decides at the beginning of the case.)  After the guilty verdict, Judge Lombardo revoked Gonzalez’s ability to post bond. 

Gonzalez is facing a maximum of at least 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. His next court hearing is scheduled for August 2, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.