A 17-year-old from DeKalb has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old Oswego resident late last year in Boulder Hill, officials said.
Brian O. Bell Jr. faces three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, attempted armed robbery with a firearm and aggravated discharge of a firearm in connection with the death of Ashton Laatz, according a press release from the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office.
Bell is in custody at the Kane County Juvenile Justice Center where his bond was set at $1 million.
Deputies responded to reports of shots being fired around 5:21 p.m. Dec. 22 in the first block of Circle Drive East in Boulder Hill, a subdivision in an unincorporated area of Kendall County near Montgomery. Upon arrival, they found a car that was involved in a traffic crash and saw Laatz inside the car, suffering from a gunshot wound, police said.
Laatz was taken to a local hospital where he later died.
Kendall County Sheriff Dwight Baird described the circumstances around the case as “very intertwined from day one.”
“It is with deep appreciation to the Laatz family that I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for your cooperation, resilience and strength during the course of this investigation and into the future as the case progresses,” Baird said in a statement.
Kendall County Sheriff’s officials said they continue to investigate the case.