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Chicago Tribune
23-05-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Law & Order column: Road-rage shooting suspect kept in jail
The man recently charged in the 2021 road-rage killing of a Waukegan college student has been ordered detained in jail until trial. Lake County prosecutors sought the detention for Llovani Gomez, who is facing murder and other charges in the shooting death of Daniel Lobo, who was a 22-year-old student at Southern Illinois University. Lobo was in a car whose occupants became involved in a roadway altercation in the early morning hours of Nov. 20, 2021, in Gurnee, near the intersection of Waveland and Grandview avenues, police said. An occupant of another vehicle fired on the car carrying Lobo, who was struck in the back. He was brought to a hospital, where he died. Gomez, a 36-year-old Chicago resident, was in custody on an unrelated matter when he was charged in Lobo's killing earlier this month. Some of the cells at the Lake County jail are getting an update, the sheriff's office reported. Crews are upgrading the area of the jail that holds prisoners deemed to be at risk of self-harm. The so-called 'safety cells' have soft, rubberized walls that have deteriorated over time and are being replaced. The area around the work has been cordoned off with plywood walls and plastic sheeting to minimize odors associated with the construction work, the sheriff said. A negative air machine has also been installed to filter the air. The project is expected to be completed by late June or early July, authorities said. Victim identified A man killed in a May 18 auto accident near Deer Park has been identified as Robert Clauss of Mount Prospect. Clauss, 71, was driving on Lake Cook Road when an oncoming vehicle making a left turn drove into his path, police said. Clauss' passenger, identified as a 63-year-old Mount Prospect woman, was seriously injured. The other motorist indicated to police that he did not see Clauss' vehicle before attempting to make the turn. Longtime Round Lake Beach police officer Tim Schuster has been promoted to the department's deputy chief position. Schuster, a 17-year veteran, has been the department's commander since 2020. 'I look forward to further strengthening the police department's partnership with the community and continuing to make Round Lake Beach a wonderful place to live, work and play,' he said. He joined the department in 2007 as a patrol officer and has risen through the ranks. Schuster replaces Ryan Rodriguez, who was promoted to chief in April following the retirement of Wayne Wilde. With Memorial Day weekend underway, numerous police agencies across Lake County said they will be adding extra patrols to keep the roads safe. Officers will be keeping a close eye for people not using their seatbelts, and those motorists who do not have small children in approved safety seats. Click it or ticket! With the weekend marking the unofficial start of summer, the Lake County Sheriff's Office said its marine unit has taken to the water in Lake Michigan and the Chain O Lakes to enforce the laws and keep boating safe. * Police are looking for a man who robbed a Beach Park fast-food restaurant at knifepoint Thursday evening. The robbery happened around 7:35 p.m. in the 38900 block of North Lewis Avenue, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office. The offender was dressed in black and wearing a surgical mask. He showed a knife to two employees and then left after taking cash from the register. A police K9 tracked the man's scent to a nearby parking lot, where police believe he left in a car or other vehicle. Anyone with any information is encouraged to deliver a tip to sheriff's detectives at or Lake County CrimeStoppers at
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Walt Frazier admits NBA players were afraid to lift weights back in the day: "Basketball players thought it would affect their shot"
The NBA has improved over the years, but perhaps one of the most underrated shifts has been the transformation in how players treat their bodies. Weight training, now seen as standard practice, was once foreign. For legends like Walt "Clyde" Frazier, training differently was one thing, but surviving in an era where basketball culture misunderstood the science behind strength was another. Why players didn't lift weights In the 1960s and early 1970s, being a skilled shooter or quick ball-handler mattered more than building strength. Players feared what the muscle might do to their mechanics. Frazier, a two-time NBA champion and seven-time All-Star, lived through that skepticism. Advertisement "In the beginning, because of the lack of education, basketball players thought [weight lifting] would affect their shot," the legendary point guard said. "That's why they didn't lift weights — because you get too muscular like football players, you don't want your muscles to contract, you want to keep them loose and flexible." Back then, flexibility and finesse were the metrics of greatness. Teams rarely employed full-time fitness staff. The modern performance teams seen today — armed with data analytics, biomechanics experts and recovery protocols — simply didn't exist. When Frazier entered the NBA in 1967 as the New York Knicks' No. 5 overall pick, players were responsible for maintaining their own conditioning. The league offered little structured support outside of training camp. It was a different era. Players weren't expected to maintain year-round peak performance. Offseasons were long, unstructured and rarely centered around muscle development. Advertisement Related: "When I needed cash, he said, 'how much?'" - John Salley says Shaquille O'Neal loaned him $70,000 when he was broke and didn't want it back Changing things Despite that culture, Frazier remained ahead of his time in his understanding of personal limitations and physical disadvantages he carried into the highest level of basketball. Unlike many of his peers, he sought out ways to improve outside the traditional scope of basketball training. "My problem was I was never that fast, I was never that strong," Walt said. "So, when I went to college, we had a guy named Doc Spackman who invented isometrics. He was the inventor of the isometric exercise. So, I went to him and he put me on a weight program." Advertisement Doc Spackman, a pioneer in alternative strength-building, introduced "Clyde" to a concept that focused on muscle tension without movement — an ideal solution for athletes wary of bulking up. At Southern Illinois University, where Frazier helped lead his team to the 1967 NIT Championship, this unconventional training set him apart. He didn't need to be the fastest or the strongest; he needed to be resilient, balanced and durable. The isometric regimen gave him just enough edge. By the time he entered the NBA, Frazier's unique blend of mental sharpness and physical efficiency helped him thrive. Walt's lateral quickness, timing and positional awareness became the trademarks of his game. He made the NBA All-Defensive First Team seven times despite not having the raw speed or strength of some of his contemporaries. Today, weight training is mandatory for NBA hopefuls. Modern stars such as LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo spend millions annually on body maintenance, including personalized weight programs, physiotherapy and recovery tools. Sports performance in the league has transformed from a supplemental routine into a fundamental pillar of a player's identity. Advertisement Frazier's experience underscores the wide gulf between eras. What was once discouraged as counterproductive is now seen as essential. In the 1970s, only a few dared to embrace strength training. Now, it's a baseline requirement for success. The evolution didn't happen overnight. It took decades of trial, error and influence from other sports. Football, with its visible emphasis on physical development, helped shift the narrative. The influx of international players, many of whom arrived with more advanced physical preparation methods, also accelerated the change. By the 1990s, stars like Michael Jordan began working with dedicated strength coaches year-round — Tim Grover's work with Jordan set a new bar for individualized athlete care. Related: "It is much more difficult than playing 30 teams" - Walt Frazier on why today's NBA is way easier than the 70s
Chicago Tribune
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Hands Across Chicagoland protest draws thousands Sunday along Ogden Avenue
Holding high a sign reading 'Democracy Dies in Silence! Resist,' Janet Wolf said she fears for America's future under President Donald Trump and a Republican Congress. 'I'm here because the Republican Congress is taking away our rights. Nobody's going to do anything until they're affected and then it's too late,' Wolf said. Wolf, 55, of La Grange Park, stood at the corner of Ogden and Spring avenues in La Grange around 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Many motorists honked horns in support. She was among the thousands – organizers estimated 18,000 – who participated in Hands Across Chicagoland from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday along a 30-mile stretch from Aurora to Chicago's Little Village neighborhood. They lined Ogden Avenue in the suburbs and 26th Street in the city. There were areas with no protesters, and areas with hundreds between Lisle and La Grange. Wolf is especially 'afraid of Elon Musk and the access he has to information.' Musk has been Trump's right-hand man in charge of cutting alleged wasteful spending by the government. One block east, at the corner of Kensington and Ogden avenues, La Grange resident Paul Miller listened as a Trump supporter stopped at a red light hurled insults at protestors, calling them 'idiots.' Miller, 71, called that reaction 'overly aggressive,' but remained glad he came out to make a stand. 'My father is 100. He can't be here today. I'm sending him videos of this,' he said. A history major who graduated in 1975 from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Miller decried what he saw as 'presidential incompetence.' 'What he's doing is bullying. Everything he does is based on some kind of schoolyard tactic he's managed to get away with. He's got some kind of diamond coating on him,' he said. His wife, Sally Miller, 73, and her friend Laureen Dunne, 71, of Westchester, held signs on the north side of Ogden. 'We are making an impact,' Sally Miller said, adding that she's also participated in protests at Tesla dealerships. Dunne said she protests weekly because 'if you're not resisting, you're assisting.' 'Week by week, it's growing and growing,' said Dunne, who protested the Vietnam War in her younger days. Earlier Sunday, Bill Davis, 79, of Arlington Heights, was all smiles as he stood around noon near a 34-foot tall inflatable chicken at the corner of Yender and Ogden avenues in Lisle. 'The first time it ever went up was about two weeks ago up in Northbrook next to a Tesla dealer. We were by the Edens Expressway and (traffic) on the Edens slowed down to almost a stop,' Davis said. 'It was really cool.' He thinks protests like Hands Across Chicagoland 'will impact the White House' and Congress. 'In two years, we're going to change Congress. Slowly but surely, we're changing things,' he said. 'Trump is doing a fine job screwing up. Omaha got its first Democratic mayor ever. That's been happening around the country. Big elections, like the Wisconsin Supreme Court, nobody thought the (Democratic candidate) would win by 17 points,' Davis said. Contsance Cameron, retired from her job teaching English literature at Waukegan High School, held two signs. One read 'Putin's Puppet.' The other read 'Honk for Democracy' and a long line of motorcyclists heading west did just that. Cameron was at the protest because she is worried about the future for her 'two wonderful grandchildren.' 'I don't want them to grow up in a Donald Trump America,' the '70-something' Cameron said. 'This is terrifying. It's not the America I grew up in. 'He's taking away all of the things that make America good. He's taking away respect for institutions. He's taking away our system of justice, the social safety net. He's taking away being able to get along with each other,' she said. Trump supporters have 'been given permission slips to be terrible and disrespectful and obnoxious,' she said. Moments later, as if on cue, a parade of vehicles — mostly pickup trucks and SUVs with Trump and MAGA placards and stickers and American flags waving – drove east on Ogden with drivers and passengers honking horns and shouting jeers at the protesters. Several elected officials, including U.S. Reps. Bill Foster, D-11th, and Robin Kelly, D-2nd, spoke words of encouragement to those gathered near the inflatable chicken in Lisle. Foster, who said he hears rumblings of dissatisfaction among some GOP lawmakers, wore a red tie with physics formulas that he called 'a subversive message to Trump.' Events like Sunday will impact independent voters, he said. 'Different sets of independent voters get upset for different reasons,' Foster said. 'When they saw the United States vote with Russia, with China, with Iran, with North Korea and against the freedom fighters of Ukraine, they just cannot understand where President Trump is leading the country,' he said. Those running small businesses damaged by tariffs and those angry that grocery prices remain high may turn on Trump, he said. Sunday's event had 23 sponsors including the Illinois Federation of Teachers and Indivisible Illinois, said Reid McCollum, chair of the Democratic Party of DuPage County, one of the sponsors. 'The goal is to make it clear there's a growing movement to oppose, through peaceful protests, the authoritarian actions that our president keeps taking,' he said. McCollum was pleased with the turnout. 'This was purely Chicago. I hope other cities do something like this,' he said around 5 p.m. Sunday. Grassroots organizations including Indivisible Naperville are planning protests for June 14, he said. That's been dubbed 'No Kings Day,' a thinly veiled shot at Trump's plan for a military parade in Washington D.C. on his 79th birthday. According to more than 100 events are already planned nationwide on June 14. Sunday was peaceful with no reported violence, McCollum said. However, a small skirmish did break out around 2 p.m. at Ogden and Kensington avenues in La Grange. A man wearing a bright red T-shirt began yelling at protestors as they left, telling them to 'go protest somewhere else' and 'this is a residential neighborhood.' He began arguing with a Tinley Park man. They shoved each other before cooler heads prevailed.
Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Miami Herald
College student killed in road rage leads to charges 4 years later, IL cops say
Just months away from graduating from Southern Illinois University, a 22-year-old man was fatally shot during a road rage incident in the Chicago suburbs, Illinois police say. Now, a 36-year-old man has been charged following the 2021 Thanksgiving break shooting of Daniel Lobo, the Gurnee Police Department announced May 12. 'This marks an important step in pursuing justice for Daniel and his family,' Gurnee Police Chief Brian Smith said in a statement. 'From the moment this tragedy occurred, our department has been committed to uncovering the truth and holding those responsible accountable.' Police said Lobo was a passenger in a vehicle that was involved in a road rage incident with another car. Lobo was shot in the back, according to police. Lobo, of Waukegan, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. 'Just because you got cut off. You know what I mean?' René Lobo, Daniel's father, told WLS at the time. 'That's not right. That person cannot be on the street anymore.' The Lake County Major Crime Task Force assisted officers in the investigation, leading to charges brought against Llovani Gomez. Gomez, who was already in custody for an unrelated case, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm, police said. Daniel Lobo was described in his obituary as an avid baseball player who had a love for music, with oldies and bachata being his favorites. 'He was a sweetheart, a dedicated and smart young man,' the obituary states. 'He spent most of his time studying, playing sports, visiting family and friends.' He was just six months away from graduating with his master's degree in biology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, per his obituary. Gurnee is about a 45-mile drive northwest from Chicago.
Chicago Tribune
12-05-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Suspect charged in fatal 2021 Gurnee road-rage shooting; ‘An important step in pursuing justice for Daniel and his family'
A Chicago man has been charged in a Thanksgiving 2021 road-rage shooting that left a Waukegan college student dead, Gurnee police said Monday. Llovani Gomez, 36, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the death of Daniel Lobo, police said. Lobo was a 22-year-old Southern Illinois University student home for Thanksgiving break when he was fatally shot in the early morning hours of Nov. 20, 2021. Lobo was shot as he rode in a car whose occupants had become embroiled in a road rage incident with another vehicle in Gurnee, according to reports. Someone in the other car fired at the Lobo vehicle near the intersection of Waveland Avenue and Grandview Avenue, police said. One of the bullets struck Lobo in the back. He was brought to Vista East Medical Center in Waukegan where he died. Gomez was in custody on an unrelated matter when he was charged with Lobo's murder, according to Gurnee police. 'This marks an important step in pursuing justice for Daniel and his family,' Police Chief Brian Smith said. 'From the moment this tragedy occurred, our department has been committed to uncovering the truth and holding those responsible accountable. 'The approval of these charges reflects the tireless efforts of our investigators, in close coordination with the Lake County State's Attorney's Office,' he said. Gomez is expected to appear in Lake County court on May 20. In addition to the murder charges, Gomez has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm, police said.
