Gun arrest No. 9 made by Naperville police at Topgolf parking lot

Chicago Tribune

23-04-2025

For the fifth time this month, police have made a firearm-related arrest in the Naperville Topgolf parking lot, bringing the total to nine for the year.
Kent Rogers, 41, of Kankakee, was taken into custody outside the 3211 Odyssey Court business Friday night on a felony charge of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and a misdemeanor charge of unlawful possession of cannabis, according to Naperville police arrest records.
His next court appearance is scheduled for May 12, per DuPage County Circuit Court records.
Officers were on patrol in the Topgolf lot when they observed a vehicle with a handgun in plain view, according to Naperville police Cmdr. Rick Krakow. When occupants returned to the vehicle, the officers approached them, Krakow said.
The gun that had been observed was owned by a person who had a valid Firearm Owner's Identification card and Concealed Carry License, Krakow said. The officers informed the owner of how to properly store their firearm inside a vehicle, he said.
However, a second gun was discovered during a search of the car, Krakow said. Rogers, who does not have a valid FOID or CCL, claimed ownership, he said.
With Rogers' arrest, there have been nine firearm-related busts in or near the Naperville Topgolf parking lot this year, Krakow confirmed.
After a nearly four-month break, gun-related arrests outside the Naperville Topgolf started up again in early February.
There were two arrests in February, two in March and five — to date — in April, Naperville police spokeswoman Kelley Munch confirmed.
Ahead of this year, Naperville police made 25 arrests on gun-related offenses in the Topgolf lot between August 2023 and October 2024.
Compared to last year, 2025 arrests are so far tracking higher, up three over the first four months of 2024.
Asked how often officers have been regularly patrolling the Topgolf lot recently, Krakow said, 'Difficult to say.'
'Officers are not required to log their time when on routine patrol of any part of the city unless specifically asked to do so,' he said in an email Wednesday. 'Officers patrol neighborhoods, main intersections and parking lots throughout the city during the normal course of their duties. There is no easy way to show how many hours officers are spending in and around 3211 Odyssey (Court).
'What I can say is that our officers are trained and directed to focus their attention on areas in which a problem has been identified,' he said. 'Their goal is to address the issue until the issue is resolved. Examples of this would include being present and making traffic stops at intersections with a high number of crashes, patrolling neighborhoods reference citizen reported driving complaints, and patrolling parking lots where illegal activity, such as firearms offenses, are known to occur.'