URBANA — University of Illinois police have arrested a 22-year-old Urbana man for allegedly firing a gun in Campustown last week.
Dominic W. Parrish, 22, who listed an address in the 1400 block of West Beardsley Avenue in Urbana, was charged Thursday with aggravated discharge of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm following his arrest Wednesday.
Judge Brett Olmstead granted the state’s request that Parrish be held in jail while his case is pending. Parrish is scheduled to next appear in court on Nov. 28.
Nobody was injured when shots were fired around 10:30 p.m. Oct. 9 in the 600 block of South Second Street, Champaign. The shooting prompted a campuswide safety alert.
Assistant State’s Attorney Daniel Reynolds said in arraignment court Thursday that Parrish had gotten into a physical altercation with another person, left and returned with a mask and a gun.
A witness saw a man fire four shots, which was also captured by video from an MTD bus, he said.
Investigators linked a vehicle to the shooting through a combination of security video and automated license plate readers.
The vehicle was registered to one of Parrish’s family members, Reynolds said.
Police were watching Parrish’s home Wednesday, and when he left, they stopped him in the 300 block of East Green Street in Champaign and arrested him.
Reynolds said Parrish admitted to police that he was present when the shots were fired and that anger had gotten the best of him after fighting with the intended target.
He told police he didn’t want to hurt the other person.
Olmstead explained to Parrish that if convicted of firing a gun near a school, a Class X felony, he faces a mandatory prison term of six to 30 years.
Parrish has a previous conviction for unlawful possession of a machine gun stemming from his arrest in November 2021.
UI police continue to encourage students, faculty and staff to call 911 if they or someone else is in danger.
“Even though this person has been arrested, we must continue to emphasize the importance of following some basic safety tips at all times,” said an email Thursday to the campus community.
