Latrice Phillips: Illinois woman shot dead acquaintance after poolside altercation turned fatal

OAKBROOK TERRACE, ILLINOIS: A verbal altercation between 51-year-old Latrice T Phillips of Naperville and a group of acquaintances at a hotel pool on the night of Saturday, December 2, tragically escalated into violence, leaving one man dead from multiple gunshot wounds, as reported by Daily Herald.

Latrice Phillips was charged with first-degree murder 

Phillips was charged Monday, December 4, with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 33-year-old Calvin Truitt inside the Hilton Suites in Oakbrook Terrace. She is currently being held without bond at the DuPage County Jail pending her next court appearance on January 4, 2024.

According to prosecutors, Phillips had gotten into a heated argument with Truitt and several other people she knew at the pool area of the 10 Drury Lane hotel on Saturday evening. Truitt and his group subsequently entered an elevator to leave, but Phillips followed them inside and continued the altercation.

Surveillance footage shows Phillips boarding the elevator with Truitt's group, but does not capture the ensuing events inside due to lack of cameras.

Latrice Phillips' victim Calvin Truitt succumbed to injuries after being taken to nearby hospital

When the elevator doors opened on the seventh floor, prosecutors allege that a physical fight broke out between Phillips and members of the group. It was at this point that Phillips brandished a Taurus 9mm handgun and fired three shots, two of which struck Truitt.

Two witnesses told police they saw Phillips holding a firearm just prior to hearing gunshots ring out. One of these witnesses reportedly captured cellphone video from a lower floor that recorded the sounds of three gunshots being fired.

After the shooting, Phillips allegedly returned to her own hotel room before being taken into custody by police a short time later. A 9mm handgun in a holster was recovered from her waistband.

Meanwhile, Truitt was transported to a nearby hospital with multiple gunshot wounds, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

Prosecutors argued Latrice Phillips poses 'real and present threat' to community

Oakbrook Terrace Police Chief Casey Calvello praised his officers for their rapid response to the incident, stating, "Within minutes the officers had administered first aid to the victim, secured a ten-story building to ensure the safety of others, and then apprehended the suspect."

In addition to the first-degree murder charge, Phillips is facing felony counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. Prosecutors successfully argued that she poses a "real and present threat" to the community in their request to have her detained pretrial without bond.

As she awaits her next court date, police continue investigating the circumstances surrounding this tragic escalation of violence stemming from a seemingly minor dispute between acquaintances at a hotel pool.