Fifth Suspect, Believed to Be Shooter of Maxwell Gadau in Skokie, Arrested at Harlan High School, Chicago

Skokie Police Cmdr. David Pawlak reports that a 17-year-old arrested Monday morning at Harlan High School — a Chicago South Side high school — is suspected of being the gunman who killed Skokie teen Maxwell L. Gadau, 17, and seriously wounded a 17-year-old girl during a robbery last week. Both Niles North High School students at the time of the shooting. The Harlan High School student has been implicated by the other suspects. Four 19-year-old suspects, Dzevad Avdic, Jeremy Ly, Myles Hughes and Nicholas Smith were arrested Sunday. The Skokie Police Department is not looking for any aditional suspects.

According to prosecutors, the five plotted to rob the girl after arranging to buy marijuana from her, according to prosecutors. Gadau was with her at the time of the transaction; but when she resisted, gunfire erupted. Gadau was killed by a gunshot wound to the back, and the girl was shot in the face. Although improving, she remains in the hospital on a respirator. During the investigation, the girl, while on the respirator in the Intensive Care Unit, identified Myles Hughes in a photo lineup as an accomplice to the gunman with the other suspects. Prosecutors did not give more details on how all of the suspects were tracked down.

Dzevad Avdic and Jeremy Ly were friends of Gadau, age 17.

Allegedly, Avdic planned the robbery and asked Ly to come up with a good target, according to Assistant State’s Attorney David Mullner. Ly gave Avdic the name and number of the girl, “indicating that if Avdic had a gun, she would give it up easily,” Mullner said.

On September 24, 2014 Avdic contacted the girl and arranged to meet her to buy marijuana.

On September 28, 2014 Avdic drove to meet the girl, with passenger Hughes, Smith and the fifth man to the place where they were to meet. Smith later told detectives he was aware of a “snatch and run” plan before he went along with the others.

Avdic called the girl twice. Cellphone forensics investigation with call pinging data showed the location for Avdic’s phone connecting to a cellphone tower two blocks from the girl’s home, according Mullner.

They met in the 9200 block of Kedvale with the girl in the driver’s seat of her car and Gadau in the front passenger seat. Hughes was in the rear passenger-side seat, and the 17-year-old arrested Monday in the rear driver-side seat.

The 17-year-old displayed a handgun and demanded marijuana from the girl. Unexpectedly she refused. Then the teen implicated by the four 19-year-olds arrested yesterday fatally shot Gadau in the back, and shot the girl in the face.

Smith took an ounce of marijuana from the girl, and Avdic, Hughes, Smith and the gunman then drove away, Mullner said. The suspects admitted that they smoked the marijuana.

During investigation immediately following the response a shots fired call and the discovery of the two gunshot victims, police found a shell casing on the floor of the girl’s car, and another in the parkway nearby.

Ly, Avdic, Myles Hughes and Nicholas Smith, are being held without bond.

  DZEVAD AVDIC … ORGNANIZER? 

  MYLES HUGHES ID’D IN PHOTO LINEUP … 

  JEREMY LY … 

  NICHOLAS SMITH … 

See also …
The Cardinal Two Niles North High School Students with Gunshot Wounds; 1 Killed on Kedvale Ave Near Church St, Skokie

The Cardinal Four Male Teens Charged with Murder in Shooting Death of Skokie Teen Maxwell Gadau

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