Marine vet indicted on Christmas Eve for fatal Lincoln Park shooting

A Marine veteran was formally indicted on Tuesday in the fatal shooting of a man in Lincoln Park last month.

A Cook County grand jury indicted John Conway, a 35-year-old Lincoln Park resident, on six counts of first-degree murder. Conway, who appeared in court on Thursday, was charged with murder earlier this month by Cook County prosecutors.

Conway, who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon, said he was defending himself when he fatally shot 34-year-old Alexander Nesteruk on Nov. 27 in the 2400 block of North Clark Street. But prosecutors said Conway was a danger to the community after he approached and fired a single shot at Nesteruk, who was standing unarmed with his arms at his sides.

Conway then walked away and never contacted authorities, prosecutors said. They also cited a collection of weapons, tactical gear and writings allegedly seized from Conway’s apartment after the shooting as cause for concern.

Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Pekara called those items — and the calm manner in which Conway shot Nesteruk and walked away from the scene — a “flashing warning symbol” that he would pose a danger if released.

Judge Caroline Glennon-Goodman ordered that Conway be held in custody on Dec. 6.

The day he was shot, Nesteruk, of west suburban Wheaton, was seen "behaving erratically" in the area, prosecutors said. He was removed from the area by police, but he later returned.

Surveillance footage showed Conway walk up to Nesteruk around 4 p.m. on Nov. 27 and shoot him in the chest, prosecutors said. He was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center where he died on Dec. 2.

Conway surrendered to police shortly after police released a photo of a suspect in a community alert. His next court appearance is Jan. 2.

Contributing: Matthew Hendrickson and Mohammad Samra