TJ Maxx shooter denied bail in court; lawyer claims defendant was attacked in parking lot and acted in self-defense – Muddy River News

QUINCY – A Quincy man charged with four felony counts after a shooting in the parking lot of TJ Maxx at the Prairie Crossing Shopping Center Saturday afternoon remains in the Adams County Jail.

However, the man’s lawyer said his client acted in self-defense.

Alan C. Pacheco, 21, appeared with attorney Ryan Schuenke in Adams County District Court Tuesday afternoon before Judge Scott Larson, who ruled that the state had “fulfilled its duty” and granted the motion to keep Pacheco incarcerated in the Adams County Jail.

According to documents filed in Adams County District Court, Pacheco was charged with:

• Two counts of aggravated use of a firearm, a Class 1 felony punishable by five to 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, for discharging a firearm at Terrance D. Horton and Islam D. Woodson;
• One count of aggravated assault with a firearm, a Class X felony punishable by six to 30 years in prison, for discharging a firearm and causing injury to Horton.
• One count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, a Class 4 felony punishable by one to three years in prison, for knowingly possessing a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm handgun while away from his property, residence or permanent place of business.

Officers from the Quincy Police Department, Adams County Sheriff’s Department and Illinois State Police were dispatched to 6210 Broadway at 2:28 p.m. on Saturday, July 6, for a shooting incident in the parking lot outside TJ Maxx. Horton, 22, was found lying on the ground with apparent gunshot wounds. Pacheco was taken into custody a short time later upon returning to the scene.

Explaining why his client should not be arrested but placed under house arrest, Schuenke said Pacheco is a student at John Wood Community College and works for a local electrical contractor from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day. He said Pacheco holds a valid FOID card and the only crime he has committed is a traffic violation.

“He had a gun in his vehicle, which he is legally allowed to do,” Schuenke said. “Obviously, Mr. Pacheco had to get (the gun) out to use in self-defense, and our position is based on Mr. Horton and Mr. Woodson attacking him and his partner in their vehicle after they had cornered them and prevented them from backing up and leaving the (parking lot).”

“I believe the evidence will show that Mr. Horton and Mr. Woodson engineered the situation and events that occurred after they assaulted Mr. Pacheco in his vehicle.”

Schuenke said Pacheco regretted the shooting incident.

“In the excitement of what was happening, the adrenaline and everything that was happening when shots were fired, he was trying to protect himself and an important person,” Schuenke said. “They got in the car, they drove away, and he voluntarily returned to the scene to file a police report and cooperate with law enforcement. He certainly did not try to run away.”

Assistant District Attorney Todd Eyler said he could not recall a recent case in which the community had been exposed to such a threat.

“This happened in broad daylight on a Saturday afternoon and in a shopping district,” he said. “We had a public place where several people were present when the shots were fired. Not only were Terrence Horton and Islam Woodson particularly at risk, but anyone who was there that Saturday, simply doing nothing other than shopping or just walking, even if there was no particular reason to do so, was put at risk.”

Eyler said he had video evidence showing Pacheco following one of the victims who ran into a nearby Petco store.

“You see him holding the gun, which puts everyone in that store or in that area at even greater risk,” Eyler said. “TJ Maxx locked the doors. There were people in that store. There were people in every store there. There were people in their cars. There’s video of people taking video as they pulled up and got out of their car when that exact thing happened.”

“To say that other people besides the two named were in danger and at risk is an understatement.”

Eyler thanked Pacheco for returning to the crime scene.

“The defendant … has spoken to law enforcement and — my words here — admitted to doing what just happened,” Eyler said. “So when we talk about the evidence being obvious or the presumption being strong that the defendant committed the crime, that’s what we have. We have it from his own words.”

Eyler said the police report on the incident stated that Pacheco told officers he fired in Woodson’s direction, but intentionally shot at the ground to scare him.

“By getting out of the car, walking around and shooting in the direction (of Woodson) — I don’t care if you shot at the ground or not — if that’s true — in the direction of a person running away and going into a store, that’s problematic,” Eyler said. “The second he got out of the car and took further action, that alleged self-defense ended. But that’s another story.”

To justify his decision to deny pretrial release, Larson cited People v. Gatewood, a 2023 case in Cook County.

“Ultimately, the report showed whether the defendant was legally justified and that the commission of crimes is irrelevant to the State’s burden of proof with respect to the elements in question,” he said. “Mr. Pacheco acted, as his lawyer argued, in a sort of self-defense mode, but that soon changed. He then became a pursuer in a public shopping area. The court may consider this in and of itself a dangerous situation.”

Pacheco’s next court date is scheduled for July 16.