Elliot Jones, a 21-year-old male from Gurnee, IL, was fatally shot on May 29, 2020, during a drug deal that turned into a robbery. The incident occurred around 9:50 p.m. in the 36900 block of North Grandwood Drive in unincorporated Gurnee. Jones was found with at least one gunshot wound to his body in front of his residence. He was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where he was later pronounced dead.
The investigation revealed that Jones had met with Donterrance M. Nixon, a 22-year-old male from Waukegan, IL, and Jordae Wilson, a 19-year-old male from Waukegan, IL, to purchase marijuana. However, Nixon and Wilson intended to rob Jones instead. After Jones handed over the money, Nixon and Wilson began to drive away without giving him the marijuana. Jones attempted to retrieve his stolen money by holding onto the vehicle, but an occupant in the car shot him.
Nixon and Wilson were both charged with first-degree murder. Nixon was arrested shortly after the shooting and remains held in the Lake County jail on a $3 million bond. Wilson was taken into custody later and is currently held at the Kenosha County Jail pending extradition hearings. A third suspect, Dalance Montrell Robinson, a 21-year-old male from Calumet City, IL, was also arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Robinson was accused of being the shooter, but he was found not guilty in March 2024 after a trial in Lake County Court.
During the trial, Nixon testified that Robinson was the gunman, but Robinson's defense attorney argued that Nixon was a "serial liar" who had fabricated the story to shift blame onto Robinson. The jury ultimately acquitted Robinson, and he was released from jail after spending over two years in custody. The Lake County State's Attorney's Office expressed disappointment with the verdict but stated that they would continue to support Jones' family throughout the pending case against Wilson.
