2 men charged in Hawthorne Race Course shooting

STICKNEY, Ill. (WLS) -- Two men were charged in connection with a weekend shooting at Belize Fest at the Hawthorne Race Course in the southwest suburbs, Stickney police said Wednesday.

Two women were shot and wounded, but neither were the intended targets. Both sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Jermaine R. James, 34, of Evanston, and Dennis D. Reneau, 38, of Ames, Iowa, are both scheduled to appear in Bond Court at the Cook County Courthouse in Bridgeview, police said.

James was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. Reneau is charged with aggravated battery, reckless discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon (all felonies).

Stickney police investigators said they "determined that two separate shooting occurred."

At about 8:30 p.m. Sunday, gunfire erupted in a Belize-themed festival that was happening outside the race track. About 1,500 people were attended the annual cultural festival. Another 1,000 people were inside the race track in Stickney, where a race was temporarily suspended.

Hawthorne general manager Jim Miller said there has never previously been a problem at the annual Belize Fest.