Attorney for former UI Health worker denies client shot anyone
On Monday, University of Illinois Chicago police arrested a contracted employee after he got into a quarrel with a patient inside the lobby of the UI Health Outpatient Center.
UIC said the employee, Glenn Rhymes, had a gun, which was confiscated. UIC went on to say Rhymes was released from custody — only to go on to shoot two people.
Now, the attorney for Rhymes said that is not true.
There has been a lot of back-and-forth trying to figure out exactly what happened. The last report from UIC was that they were asking anyone who knew Rhymes to call police.
But on Wednesday, Rhymes' attorney said police are not looking for him at all.
On Monday morning, inside the lobby of the UI Health Outpatient Care Center at 1801 W. Taylor St., UI Health said UIC police arrested Rhymes — an employee of third-party foodservice contractor Aramark — when he got into a quarrel with a patient in the lobby.
UI Health said Rhymes took out a handgun and "made a threatening statement."
UIC said Rhymes was charged with entering a prohibited place with a gun, disorderly conduct, and aggravated assault using a firearm. All are misdemeanor counts.
Rhymes' Firearm Owners Identification Card was revoked, his weapon was taken, and he was released.
No one was injured, UIC said, until early Tuesday morning — when the university connected Rhymes to a double shooting.
Police sources said the double shooting happened at 2:33 a.m. Tuesday in the first block of North Lavergne Avenue.
Chicago police said the victims were walking outside when a black vehicle went by, and four men inside opened fire from within the vehicle. A 39-year-old man was shot multiple times, while a 35-year-old woman suffered a graze wound to the head. Both were taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County in good condition and are expected to make full recoveries, police said.
Bullets shattered glass doors in the Lavergne Avenue shooting, and police sources said close to 40 shots were fired.
Sources said the 39-year-old man who was shot also worked for Aramark.
"I don't know what has happened since Monday — only that I got a call from Mr. Rhymes indicating that it's on the news that they reported looking him for two shootings," said attorney Denise Brewer. "He knew nothing about it."
Brewer contacted CBS News Chicago. She said that she is representing Rhymes, and that police are no longer looking for him.
Brewer was asked if Rhymes has some sort of alibi to say he was not at the location of the double shooting in South Austin at the time that it happened.
"He doesn't know where the shooting was," Brewer said. "But again, the police department has said that they're not looking for him."
Chicago police do not release the names of suspects until they have been charged, and declined to connect Rhymes to the South Austin shooting. Police sources, however, have made that connection.
UIC has not retracted any of its previous statements connecting Rhymes to a later double shooting. CBS News Chicago was waiting late Wednesday to hear the university's reaction to Rhymes' attorney's comments.
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