Inset left: A woman identified as Katelyn Harmon brandishing a knife (Facebook). Inset right: Katelyn Harmon (Gurnee Police Department). Background: The Hobby Lobby parking lot where a series of attacks began in Gurnee, Ill. (Google Maps).
A Wisconsin woman now finds herself in jail after she filmed herself boasting about evading police shortly after allegedly running over several people in a mall parking lot. This incident, according to Illinois authorities, was followed by a related knife attack.
Katelyn A. Harmon, 25, has been charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, failure to report a crash involving personal injury, aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm, and four counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, as stated by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The events unfolded late on a Monday morning at the parking lot of Gurnee Mills, an outlet mall located in a village within the northern outskirts of the Chicago metropolitan area.
The initial incident was reported at approximately 10:05 a.m. in the parking lot of a Hobby Lobby on West Grand Avenue, as detailed in a press statement from the Gurnee Police Department.
According to police, Harmon allegedly drove her 2010 Toyota Camry into a 79-year-old man standing by his car. Subsequently, she allegedly targeted a 60-year-old woman with her vehicle.
“The 79-year-old male sustained serious injuries and was transported to Advocate Condell Hospital,” the press release stated. Meanwhile, “the 60-year-old female sustained an ankle injury and was transported to Lake Forest Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.” The suspect fled the scene before officers could arrive.
At 10:40 a.m., police issued an alert to surrounding law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for the wanted Camry. The alert noted the wanted car had sustained visible damage to its windshield on the passenger side due to the impact of hitting the two pedestrians.
But all the while, Harmon was close by, police allege.
Instead of leaving the area entirely, Harmon drove some 850 feet to the nearby parking lot behind a Panera Bread and other retailers, police said. Then, at 10:31 a.m., she allegedly posted a confession on Facebook — containing two images of the damage to her Camry.
“I ran through gurnee mills mall parking lot and ran over people in the name of the light good intentions praise allah Hare Krishna thank you Jesus,” the incriminating Facebook post reads.
And then the posting continued.
At 10:37 a.m., while sitting in her car, Harmon posted a short clip of herself brandishing a large kitchen knife and goading police.
“Hey, they still haven’t found me,” the woman says. “I guess I outsmarted the cops. God always wins. Here’s a — I’m outside this Panera Bread next to Gurnee Mills. Someone should call the cops on me. I mean, I was a good person and now I’m homeless. So, apparently, good people don’t win anymore. Whoops — still won.”
Minutes after the video was posted, the defendant got out of her car and attacked a Hyundai Tucson SUV that had parked next to her, according to the Lake & McHenry County Scanner.
“The female used a large butcher knife to strike the vehicle’s window and then slashed the driver’s side tire,” the police department said. “When the male exited his vehicle, a physical struggle ensued. The male sustained several lacerations to his hands but was able to disarm the female and restrain her until police arrived.”
Several members of law enforcement descended on the area and Harmon was taken down with a Taser-like device, police said.
The violence appeared random as there was no prior connection between the defendant and the victims, according to law enforcement.
On Wednesday, Harmon appeared before a judge for an initial appearance where authorities played a custodial interview with investigators, according to a courtroom report by the Scanner.
“You said you came out here for premeditated murder?” an officer asks.
To which Harmon replies: “I was planning on murdering someone.”
The officer asked why and the woman said: “I just went rogue.”
Later on in the interview, the officer explains that there are resources for the homeless — which prompts the defendant to laugh and say: “Oh, I’m not getting out of here. I’m not getting out of here. I’ll do it again. I need help.”
Harmon is next slated to appear in court on Feb. 26.
