911 call led police to accused shooter in killing of Lincoln Park man, prosecutors say

CHICAGO (WGN) — Cook County prosecutors on Friday credited a 911 call that led investigators to the woman now charged in the fatal shooting of a 28-year-old Lincoln Park man earlier this month.

Chicago police announced Thursday that Josalyn Fowler of Thornton, Illinois, has been charged with multiple felonies, including first-degree murder and attempted robbery. Fowler appeared in court on April 25, as prosecutors laid out their case, stating that after the 25-year-old woman allegedly shot and killed her victim, Kevin Patel, she then tried to mislead police with a deceptive 911 call.

Investigators say the effort backfired.

Prosecutors revealed that Fowler allegedly informed 911 operators of a wounded person on the 800 block of West Lill Ave., with the shooters fleeing westbound. Chicago police detectives concluded Fowler and an alleged accomplice, her cousin, ran eastbound, however.

According to county prosecutors, detectives determined that Fowler’s phone was at the scene of the crime using cell phone tower data. The alleged accomplice cooperated with detectives, which, prosecutors say, along with other factors, eventually led to Fowler’s arrest.

“He identified the defendant as his cousin and as the individual who shot the victim,” said Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Pekara.

A combination of doorbell cameras, store surveillance videos, and city surveillance cameras reportedly captured the suspect’s movements.

Pekara said Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) cameras clearly showed Fowler’s face.

“Seven minutes after the shooting, the defendant [Fowler] and the other individual arrived at the CTA Fullerton Red Line station,” Pekara said. “Detectives ran the images of the defendant from the Red Line through facial recognition software, which compared her image to photos from various databases.”

Investigators identified Fowler as their suspect after Wednesday’s botched armed robbery and deadly shooting of Patel. A GoFundMe fundraiser set up by Patel’s family has raised more than $21,000 as of Friday evening.

The GoFundMe said Patel’s shooting death occurred about 50 feet away from his Lincoln Park home.

With assistance from the US Marshals Great Lakes regional task force, Chicago police officers took Fowler into custody, allegedly seizing a 40-caliber semi-automatic handgun in the process.  

Prosecutors and city detectives further allege the handgun recovered is the same one used in the slaying of Patel.

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“Ballistics analysis determined that the 40-caliber shell casing recovered on the scene of the homicide was fired from the 40-caliber handgun recovered from the defendant at the time of her arrest,” Pekara said.