A shootout outside a Waukegan apartment complex has landed one of the shooters a 9-year prison sentence for his role in the March 2024 shooting that left two people wounded, including one of the suspects himself.
The Night of the Shooting
March 30, 2024, at 9:50 pm chaos erupted outside the Lakeside Tower Apartments on Julian Street when gunfire rang out in what would later be determined to be a shootout between two armed men. 20-year-old Nazir Plaines was walking behind two people and allegedly pulled out a gun and started shooting at an occupied pickup truck parked outside the building.
Inside the truck was a 22-year-old woman in the driver’s seat who was shot in the stomach and right arm. Her passenger 23 year old Clarence J. Murdoc,k grabbed a gun from his backpack and started shooting back at Plaines and his crew. The exchange of gunfire was so intense that prosecutors would later describe it as an “explosion of gunfire” captured on surveillance video.
Victims and Damage
The shooting resulted in serious injuries and property damage:
- The female driver required emergency surgery after being shot in the stomach and arm
- Plaines himself was shot in the leg during the exchange
- Multiple bullets struck the apartment building’s lobby, shattering glass windows
- A pickup truck was riddled with bullet holes and had to be towed
- Two children standing in the lobby were forced to duck for cover as bullets flew
Criminal Charges Filed
Following an investigation, detectives obtained arrest warrants for both suspects less than two weeks after the shooting. The charges reflected the severity of the incident:
Nazir Plaines faced:
- Aggravated battery by discharge of a firearm (Class X felony)
- Aggravated discharge of a firearm (Class 1 felony)
Clarence J. Murdock was charged with:
- Aggravated battery by discharge of a firearm
- Two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm
- Two counts of felon in possession of a firearm
- Four counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon
Criminal Histories
Both men had criminal records. Murdock was on parole at the time of the shooting, having served 4 years for aggravated robbery with a firearm. Plaines had been convicted as a juvenile felon in 2023 and had multiple prior cases involving weapons charges.
Legal Resolution
In late June, Plaines made a plea deal with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office. He pleaded guilty to aggravated battery by discharge of a firearm and got 9 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. With 432 days already served in county jail, his actual time will be reduced.
Murdock’s case is still active. He’s due in court on September 16. His fate is still unknown. This is a reminder of how quickly things can escalate and how lucky we are that no one was killed in the crossfire that endangered innocent bystanders, including children.
