Man Faces Charges For Throwing Bottle

Chicago, Illinois - Charges have been upgraded to felonies for a man accused of hurling a beer bottle that hit a young woman -- causing her to lose sight in her eye -- during a street fight Sunday morning on the Far South Side. The 17-year-old woman remains hospitalized early Tuesday in serious but “stable” condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. The young woman has lost sight in her eye, according to police. Tommy McLaurin, 34, of the 200 block of West 113th Street, was charged at 1:45 a.m. with aggravated battery with a dangerous weapon and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, according to police who said the charges are felonies. Since the Sunday morning attack at 111 W. 115th St., the woman had been unable to talk in detail to police but Monday she was able to identify McLaurin as the offender who threw the beer bottle during the fight, police said. McLaurin was one of four males initially charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct and he has been in custody ever since the incident, according to police. The three others charged in the incident are Jacquez Shannon, 18, of 11500 S. LaSalle St., Jerry Shannon, 17, of north suburban Barrington and an unidentified 16-year-old male who were all charged with reckless conduct, a misdemeanor, according to police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli. Police responded to a report of a large crowd at 111 W. 115th St. at 10 a.m. Sunday and observed several individuals fighting on the scene, according to police News Affairs Officer Michael Fitzpatrick. Officers broke up the fight and placed several male combatants in custody. The woman was apparently struck by a blunt object in the street fight and suffered an injury to her eye, Fitzpatrick said. She was initially taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in serious condition. The total number of people involved in the fight could not be confirmed immediately. Initial reports that a 15-year-old boy was also treated on the scene were false. Multiple gang fights have broken out at that location Sunday morning, according to Fire Media Affairs spokesman Quention Curtis. Police News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak said police activated an emergency 10-1 response at that location for a gang-disturbance. Calumet Area detectives are investigating and said as of early Tuesday they were not seeking any other suspects in the case.