Security guard arrested after gun fires in car outside Niles marijuana dispensary
Niles IL June 21 2020
A 21-year-old security guard working at a new Niles marijuana dispensary was arrested last week after a gun he was carrying fired inside a car while he was on duty, police said.
Jordan A. Santos, of 2400 block of Dugdale Road, Waukegan, was charged with unlawful use of a weapon on June 9 after an investigation determined he was not licensed as an armed security guard and should not have been carrying a firearm, Niles police said in a report.
According to the report, Santos, who self-reported the incident after it occurred, told police he was working security at Rise marijuana dispensary, 9621 N. Milwaukee Ave., and was unloading his 9mm handgun inside his car so he could secure it there while he used the restroom. As he was “attempting to clear the firearm,” Santos told police that he accidentally pulled the trigger, causing the gun to fire a bullet at the floor of the car.
No injuries were reported, according to police.
Niles police said Santos did not have a concealed carry license and was not licensed to carry a gun as a security guard.
“The safety of our customers, employees and community is a top priority,” Marsicano said in a statement.
A representative of the security firm also told police that Santos was not allowed to carry a gun as part of his employment, the police report stated.
An attempt to reach Santos was unsuccessful. He is scheduled to appear in Cook County Circuit Court in Skokie on July 14.
Santos reportedly told police that he had taken the gun with him for his own protection. He did possess a valid firearm owners identification card, police said.
A second, unloaded firearm was also found inside a backpack behind the front passenger seat and ammunition was found in the trunk of the car, according to police.
Rise marijuana dispensary opened May 28 in Niles inside a former eye-care center just north of Golf Mill Shopping Center.
chicagotribune.com
