Concealed carry holder tried to shoot man 3 weeks after gun charges were dropped: prosecutors

Less than a month after prosecutors dropped gun possession charges against a licensed concealed carry holder, that same man is back in custody, this time accused of trying to shoot someone on a Southwest Side street.

Prosecutors said 26-year-old Amado Lopez-Hernandez was arrested after allegedly brandishing a gun at a 63-year-old woman and firing at her neighbor during a confrontation in Gage Park.

According to a detention petition filed in Cook County court, the incident unfolded in the 5400 block of South Hamlin Avenue. The woman told police she was walking toward her home when she saw Lopez-Hernandez pacing outside, dressed in a black hoodie with the hood up and clutching his waistband. He began staring at her intently before lifting his sweatshirt to reveal a gun, prosecutors said.

Amado Lopez-Hernandez (Chicago Police Department, Cook County court records)

Fearing for her life, the woman ran into the street and hid behind a parked car. As she peeked out, she reportedly saw Lopez-Hernandez scanning the area, apparently searching for her. When she spotted a 52-year-old neighbor sitting in a van across the street, the woman ran to him and warned him that Lopez-Hernandez was armed, prosecutors said. The neighbor told her to run to his house, about 50 feet away, and call 911.

As the woman called for help, prosecutors said the neighbor stepped out of his van and began walking toward another vehicle he had just moved and left running. Lopez-Hernandez was still nearby, pacing and “dancing oddly” as if searching for someone, according to a detention petition. When the neighbor began walking toward his home, he allegedly saw Lopez-Hernandez point a gun directly at him.

The man dropped to the ground, and he heard a single gunshot. He told investigators he felt the wind of the bullet pass over him but was not hit. The woman and another witness both reported seeing Lopez-Hernandez flee the scene through a gangway.

Judge James Murphy III ordered Lopez-Hernandez detained pending trial after prosecutors outlined the allegations in court.

Court records show Lopez-Hernandez was previously arrested on July 14 after informing Chicago police during a traffic stop that he had a gun in his waistband. Officers reported finding two live rounds and four spent shell casings inside his vehicle. Investigators later confirmed he held a valid concealed carry license, and prosecutors dropped the gun charges on August 27.

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