Illinois Man Convicted of Killing Mini Cooper Passenger in Road Rage Shooting Over Simple Horn Honk
ELGIN, ILLINOIS — What began as a simple honk at a traffic light ended in deadly violence. An Illinois man has been convicted of first-degree murder after opening fire on a Mini Cooper carrying two co-workers heading home from work — killing one of them and injuring the other.
According to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, 27-year-old Dru K. Jarvis was found guilty Monday of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and armed violence in the 2020 shooting death of 41-year-old Francisco Trujillo-Uscanga.
Prosecutors said Trujillo-Uscanga was riding home with a co-worker in Elgin around 2 a.m. on August 22, 2020, when Jarvis swerved into their lane. The Mini Cooper’s driver honked the horn — and that’s when the encounter turned fatal.
“Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang,” prosecutor Mark Stajdohar said during closing arguments, describing Jarvis’ reaction. “Because [the driver] had the temerity to honk his horn.”
Victim Killed, Driver Wounded in Unprovoked Shooting
Jarvis pulled his vehicle alongside the Mini Cooper at North State and Kimball Streets, firing multiple rounds into the car. Trujillo-Uscanga was struck in the torso, while the driver was hit in both legs, police said.
Both men were rushed to a local hospital, where Trujillo-Uscanga was pronounced dead. His co-worker survived the attack.
Investigators said the shooting appeared completely unprovoked and driven purely by rage.
“This tragic case is a stark reminder of how quickly anger behind the wheel can turn into irreversible violence,” Stajdohar said. “An innocent man lost his life for nothing more than a horn honk.”
Suspect Caught After Second Shooting and Online Search
A week after the fatal attack, Jarvis committed another shooting in Elgin, which eventually led police to his arrest. For that case, he was convicted of aggravated discharge of a weapon and sentenced to four years in prison.
Detectives linked the earlier homicide to Jarvis after uncovering search history evidence showing he looked up the phrase “two men shot in Elgin” shortly after the August 22 killing.
Authorities also connected vehicle evidence and forensic data tying him to the scene.
Jarvis Faces Nearly a Century in Prison
Following the guilty verdict, Jarvis now faces a minimum of 96 years behind bars when sentenced on December 3.
The victim’s family, who attended the trial, said they were relieved justice had been served but described the loss as “unbearable.”
Trujillo-Uscanga, who worked long hours to support his family, was described as a kind, hardworking man who was just trying to get home from work that night.
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