Man arrested after shots fired from homemade firearm in Carbondale

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

CARBONDALE, Ill., (KBSI) — A 25-year-old Carbondale man was arrested late Thursday after police responded to reports of shots fired from a homemade firearm inside a residence.

Officers with the City of Carbondale Police Department were called at about 10:45 p.m. Dec. 19 to the 2500 block of New Era Road for a report of unlawful use of a weapon in progress. Police said the suspect, identified as Ethan Hipps, was firing rounds from a homemade firearm.

Officers also learned Hipps had an active Jackson County failure-to-appear warrant for unlawful restraint and was inside a residence occupied by another adult and an infant. A civic alert was issued asking the public to avoid the area during the investigation.

After attempts to contact Hipps were unsuccessful, officers entered the residence due to exigent circumstances and took him into custody without incident. No injuries were reported.

During the investigation, officers recovered evidence consistent with homemade firearm manufacturing, ammunition and drug paraphernalia, police said.

Hipps was arrested on charges of reckless discharge of a firearm, unlawful possession of firearm projectiles, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, endangering the life and health of a child, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was lodged in the Jackson County Jail pending a detention hearing. The investigation remains ongoing.