‘Person of interest' in fatal fitness center shooting turns self in to police

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) - A person of interest connected with a fatal shooting in the gym of a River West apartment building Wednesday night surrendered to police custody early Thursday.

Darrin Joss, 45, was shot in the head about 7:06 p.m. in the eighth-floor gym of the apartment at 555 W. Kinzie, police said. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A person of interest in the shooting arrived at the Chicago Police Department Headquarters building about 3:30 a.m. Thursday and surrendered to police custody, according to a statement from police.

Late Wednesday, Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted that the shooting was an “isolated incident” and that detectives “know who [the shooter] is and are actively looking.”

Witnesses and those who live in the building described the gunman as a man in a wheelchair, who is well-known to many residents and has lived in this building for about two years. It appears the man he targeted and shot was not a random shooting by any means.

One man who lives in the adjoining building says he saw the man in the wheelchair about 10 minutes before the shooting and he was sitting in the large open workout area at a table. It appeared there was nothing wrong.

The timing just before the shooting would suggest that the gunman may have actually been waiting for and looking for Joss.

Alexa Regiman, who lives in the building, told reporters she was working out while listening to music when she felt the ground shake.

“The second time, I was like ‘Something’s not right,'” she said.

She said that after she felt the thuds, she looked to her left and saw a man — who had been using a treadmill — lying on the ground covered in blood.