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Suburban home invasion turns into deadly shootout
A man was killed and another was wounded during a home invasion shootout Saturday in west suburban St. Charles.
KANE COUNTY - St. Charles police are investigating a deadly home invasion that ended in a shootout on Saturday evening – leaving one man dead and another injured.
Around 7:37 p.m., police responded to an apartment in the 100 block of Walnut Drive for a report of shots fired.
Located less than a half-mile from the police station, officers arrived within a minute of being dispatched, according to officials.
When officers arrived at the scene, they observed Panagiotis Koutroumbis dragging James Gherardini out of the apartment. Gherardini had been shot in the chest, police said.
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Gherardini, 26, of Lindenhurst, was treated by paramedics at the scene, before being transported to Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation revealed that Koutroumbis, Gherardini and at least one other person entered the apartment through an unlocked sliding glass door and reportedly zip-tied the hands of several occupants inside the apartment before demanding items from them, police said.
During the investigation, also police learned that a resident made an open line phone call from their cell phone to a 25-year-old man from St. Charles. That man arrived to the apartment and was met by the armed offenders.
Gunfire was exchanged between the St. Charles man and at least one of the suspects, according to police.
In addition to Gherardini being shot, the 25-year-old was also wounded by gunfire and went to the hospital on his own. He was shot in the abdomen and hospitalized in stable condition, police said.
Koutroumbis, 26, of Lindenhurst, was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder, two counts of home invasion, and aggravated unlawful restraint. He's being held at the Kane County Jail on a $1.5 million bond.
His next court date is set for Jan. 20.
Police believe at least one additional offender fled the scene before officers arrived.
Investigators also said this was an isolated, targeted attack and that there is no threat to the public.