New Lenox man charged with 2023 Joliet drive-by shooting that caused injury

A New Lenox man has been charged with a Joliet drive-by shooting in 2023 that caused a 65-year-old man to suffer a graze gunshot wound above one of his eyebrows, court records show.

About 11:40 p.m. Sunday, Mason Bailey, 22, was transported to the Will County jail on charges of aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated discharge of a firearm.

The charges were the result of a Joliet Police Department investigation of a shooting reported on Feb. 25, 2023 in the 200 block of Lucas Street.

A 65-year-old male victim was struck by a bullet that grazed above one of his eyebrows, prosecutors said in a court filing to deny Bailey’s jail release. The victim received stitches for the wound.

The bullet originated from the occupant of a gold Grand Marquis vehicle that circled the street twice, prosecutors said. The 65-year-old victim had been outside his residence to “have a smoke” before the shooting.

The victim “did not know of any reason or motive anyone would have for shooting him,” prosecutors said.

But apparently Bailey was under the belief that someone in that area was responsible for shooting his vehicle, prosecutors said.

Officers determined Bailey was the owner of the Grand Marquis vehicle, prosecutors said.

After officers contacted Bailey, he allegedly told them that a friend of his claimed he knew who was responsible for shooting his vehicle “and where he lived,” prosecutors said.

Before the Lucas Street shooting, Bailey claimed he was alone and saw a man near a house and fired a Glock firearm enhanced with a switch device, prosecutors said. A switch is the name for the small device that can convert a handgun into an automatic machine gun.

“[Bailey] stated he fired 30 rounds,” prosecutors said.

Bailey claimed he “did not mean” to hit the man who was grazed and he was just doing a drive-by, prosecutors said. Bailey said he “got rid of the gun and he was surprised he was not caught,” prosecutors said.