Woman arrested on federal charges in purchase of gun used to kill Chicago police officer John Bartholomew
A woman has been arrested on federal charges in connection to the purchase of the gun that allegedly was used to kill Chicago police officer John Bartholomew and critically wound his partner at Swedish Hospital over the weekend.
Olivia Burgos is charged with one count of making a material false statement in the acquisition of a firearm.
According to the charges, she bought a 10mm Glock handgun from Range USA, a gun shop and shooting range in Merrillville, Indiana, on May 27, 2024, and lied on an ATF form about why she bought the gun, where she lived, and about her addiction to illegal drugs.
On the purchase form, she claimed she bought the gun for herself, that she lived in La Porte, Indiana, and that she was not addicted to drugs.
However, when she was questioned by federal agents after the shooting at Swedish Hospital, she admitted she had bought the gun for her boyfriend, who gave her the money for the gun, and who she believed was a convicted felon who was not allowed to buy or possess firearms.
She also admitted that she has been addicted to fentanyl since April 23, 2024, and had used fentanyl on the day she bought the gun. She further admitted that she was actually living in Highland, Indiana, with her boyfriend when she bought the gun.
The charges do not identify Burgos' boyfriend, or indicate how or when the gun ended up in the hands of 26-year-old Alphanso Talley, who is charged with killing Officer Bartholomew and critically wounding his 57-year-old partner at Swedish Hospital on Saturday. However, the charges against Burgos say the gun she bought is suspected to be the one used in the shooting.
The chain of events leading to the shooting that killed Bartholomew started around 8 a.m. Saturday, with the armed robbery of a Family Dollar store at 3239 W. Lawrence Ave. in the Albany Park neighborhood. Surveillance video shows two people arriving on scooters, and moments later, they are seen leaving before police arrive.
Investigators said officers caught up to one of the two suspects, took him into custody, and transported him to Swedish Hospital under police guard for treatment for an unspecified ailment.
At 10:50 a.m. Saturday, Talley was under police guard in the emergency room at Swedish Hospital when he somehow got a hold of a gun and shot two Chicago police officers.
Bartholomew was killed. A second officer, 57 years old and a 21-year veteran of the force, remained in critical condition Monday morning at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
Police said Talley left Swedish Hospital in a gown, and was later taken into custody at a nearby home following a SWAT standoff. A weapon was recovered.
Investigators still have not said how the gun made it inside the hospital.
Talley is charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. He also faces felony charges of attempted armed kidnapping, aggravated battery cuasing great bodily harm, aggravated battery with discharge of a weapon, aggravated battery of a peace officer, aggravated discharge of a firearm in an occupied building, escape from a peace officer, armed robbery, unauthorized posession of a weapon by a felon, poesession of a firearm by a repeat felon, obstrcuction of justice, posession of a fraudulent ID card and three issuances of a warrant.
The charges filed Monday morning are a combination of those for the police shooting at the hospital and for the earlier armed robbery.
At his first court appearance Monday afternoon, a judge ordered him held in jail while he awaits trial.