Shot heard inside vehicle during one of two gun investigations by Naperville police

A DuPage County judge on Friday denied requests for pretrial release from two men accused of separate gun crimes in Naperville.

The cases involve Tony Thompson, 19, of Joliet, charged with possession of a machine gun, and Trensae Ware, 24, of Naperville, charged with reckless shooting of a firearm. Both are crimes.

Tony Thompson
Courtesy of the DuPage County State's Attorney

Trensae items
Courtesy of the DuPage County State's Attorney

Authorities said Naperville police stopped a vehicle around 8 p.m. Thursday for expired license plates that had just left the parking lot of a Wendy's. The vehicle appeared to be “partially shaking on the roadway, approaching the officer's vehicle,” police said.

While speaking with the driver, the officer heard what sounded like “the sliding of a handgun rack from inside the vehicle.” The officer called for backup and when help arrived, he asked Thompson, who was in the passenger seat, to get out, authorities said.

During a search, police found a Glock 17 9mm firearm, which has a switch capable of making the firearm fully automatic, under Thompson's seat and took him into custody.

Thompson, of the 400 block of Hillside Road in Joliet, was also charged with possession of a firearm without FOID, and two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

During a second disturbance, officers were driving behind a vehicle they believed was driven by Ware around 8 p.m. Thursday. They heard what sounded like a gunshot coming from inside and observed the vehicle “swerving slightly and shaking.”

Officers conducted a traffic stop and found a cannabis shake and an open bottle of tequila. As the four people in the vehicle got out, a spent shell casing was observed in the driver's seat when Ware got out, authorities said.

Police searched the scene and recovered a loaded .45 caliber firearm under the front passenger seat.

“The bullets contained in the firearm matched the spent shell casing found in the driver’s seat,” officials reported. “Near where the driver's left foot should have been while seated, officers observed a bullet hole entrance leading outward from inside the vehicle, and they did not observed no exit hole.”

Gunshot residue was found on Ware's hands and police located a 9mm handgun in the rear passenger compartment.

Ware, of the 1500 block of West Jefferson Avenue in Naperville, was also charged with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.

Berlin praised Naperville police, saying, “their commitment to public safety is second to none.” Once again, their efforts have helped take dangerous weapons away from those who are not legally allowed to possess them.”

“We will continue to proactively patrol our city and work to ensure those who are illegally in possession of firearms are held accountable,” Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said in a statement.

Judge Joshua Dieden granted DuPage County Prosecutor Robert Berlin's separate requests to deny pretrial release.

Arraignment in both cases is scheduled for July 1.