Cook County man charged after bringing loaded gun to Naperville TopGolf

CHICAGO - A Cook County man was charged after he was found with a loaded gun at a TopGolf in Naperville on Friday night. 

Gary Howard, 20, of Palos Park, was arrested around 10 p.m. after Naperville police on foot patrol at the TopGolf on Odyssey Court saw a handgun with an extended magazine in his car. 

Prosecutors said the gun was in plain view on the rear driver's side floorboard. The officers continued surveillance on the vehicle until Howard and a woman walked up to the car. He allegedly grabbed something from behind the driver's seat before getting in the car.

Police immediately stopped the vehicle. They found a loaded Glock 23 .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine that had been moved to the driver’s floorboard.

Howard was arrested and charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. He was already facing aggravated fleeing and eluding and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon charges out of Cook County.            

He was denied pre-trial release. Howard’s next court appearance was scheduled for May 13.

"With the warm weather fast approaching, my office stands ready to work with the Naperville Police Department and authorities at TopGolf to ensure we do not have a repeat of the rash of individuals bringing a dangerous weapon to a family-friendly facility that we saw last year," DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said.

Since last September, there have been more than a dozen gun-related arrests at Naperville's Topgolf facility.