DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced earlier this week that a Kentucky man has been sentenced to 18 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for opening fire at Yorktown Center in Lombard in November 2022.
Ronald Grundy, 26, of Louisville, appeared in court on Aug. 10, and entered a plea of guilty to one count of aggravated battery with a firearm, a Class X felony. Following his guilty plea, Judge Margaret O’Connell handed down the sentence. On Nov. 15, 2022, Grundy appeared in bond court, where the court granted the state’s petition to deny bail. He has been held in custody at the DuPage County Jail since that time.
The case against Grundy’s co-defendant, Jakobi Kinsey, 27, of Chicago, is pending. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 1, in front of Judge O’Connell. Kinsey is facing one count of aggravated battery with a firearm and three counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony.
On Nov. 11, 2022, at approximately 3:05 p.m., officers with the Lombard Police Department responded to a call of shots fired at the Yorktown Center mall near the JCPenney parking lot. Upon their arrival, officers spoke with victims of the shooting. It is alleged that the victims, two males and one female, were at the mall when they were confronted by Kinsey and Grundy, who was wearing a ski mask. It is alleged that one of the defendants asked the victims “you good?” A short time later, the victims left the mall and went to their vehicle.
It is further alleged that the defendants saw the victim’s car and then ran toward and entered their vehicle and drove toward the victims’ vehicle. Grundy then leaned out of the passenger-side window and fired multiple shots at the victims, striking the female in the arm. It is alleged that the defendants then fled the scene.
An investigation conducted by the Lombard Police Department led authorities to a Chicago address, where Kinsey was taken into custody on Nov. 12. On Nov. 14, Grundy was taken into custody from an address in Cook County. When processing the scene, officers found five 9mm spent casings. The female victim was treated at a local hospital, where she underwent surgery to remove the bullet and has since recovered.
“At the onset of the busy shopping season during a three-day holiday weekend, Mr. Grundy opened fire in the middle of the afternoon in the parking lot of a popular mall,” Berlin said. “The complete disregard for human life and the rule of law Mr. Grundy exhibited that day is almost unimaginable. In DuPage County, law enforcement’s commitment to public safety is resolute and we will stop at nothing to protect our residents, businesses and visitors and bring anyone who commits this type of violent behavior to justice. We are all very thankful that the victim in this case has since recovered from her injury.”
Grundy will be required to serve 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
