BY BRIAN L. HUCHEL
DANVILLE — An indictment was leveled Friday against a suspect in the fatal shooting of a Danville man last month.
Davieon Harper, 28, had been charged in the Oct. 24 shooting of 20-year-old Timothy Shutes Jr. in the area of Elmwood Park.
State’s Attorney Randy Brinegar confirmed just before noon on Friday that a grand jury handed up an indictment against Harper during morning proceedings.
The indictment consists of the same charges Harper faced after his arrest the night of the shooting: unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, armed robbery with a firearm and first-degree murder.
The murder charge carries with it a maximum penalty of 60 years or life in the Illinois Department of Corrections, if Harper is found guilty. The other charges both carry special penalties that increase the potential prison time for those felonies.
According to Danville police, Shutes was near Elmwood Park, along with several other people, at about 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 24 when a shot was fired and he was hit. Shutes was driven to Provena United Samaritans Medical Center where he died a short time later.
Additional details regarding the shooting have not been released.
Harper was scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 12. Assistant State’s Attorney Kavita Uppal, however, motioned to continue that hearing so that the case could be heard by a grand jury.
Brinegar declined to comment on Friday about why the Harper case was taken before a grand jury.
Harper was three months away from completing his state prison parole when he was arrested for the shooting. He is now being held in the Public Safety Building without bond.
Another suspect remains at large in connection with the shooting. No arrests have been made.
