For the 18th time in half as many months, police have arrested a person on firearm-related charges at the Naperville Topgolf parking lot.
Joshua Passafiume, 25 of Coal City, was arrested Monday night outside the 3211 Odyssey Court business on a charge of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. His arraignment is scheduled for May 21, according to DuPage County Circuit Court records online.
Like previous arrests, Passafiume was taken into custody as the result of a police foot patrol around the Topgolf lot.
According to Naperville police Cmdr. Rick Krakow, officers were walking the lot on foot when they allegedly observed a firearm in plain view inside a Jeep. When Passafiume and another person returned to the Jeep, they asked them to exit and the observed firearm was recovered, he said.
Passafiume was arrested after police confirmed he did not have a license to conceal carry, Krakow said.
Two separate credentials — a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card and a Concealed Carry License (CCL) — are needed to lawfully purchase and carry a gun in Illinois.
Last month, the Naperville Sun reported that between Aug. 10, 2023, through April 23, 17 people had been arrested for gun-related charges outside Naperville’s Topgolf facility based on information provided by the Naperville Police Department, arrest records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request and DuPage County court records.
Passafiume’s arrest takes the tally up to 18 over the past nine months.
Authorities have repeatedly stated it is difficult to speculate as to why people are bringing their firearms to Naperville’s Topgolf and leaving them in their vehicles.
The facility has enhanced its security measures. Topgolf previously issued a statement assuring the “safety of our players and playmakers has always been and will continue to be our number one priority.”
“The arrests that have occurred in our parking lot are unrelated to Topgolf,” their statement read, “and no incidents related to these efforts have occurred within our venue. We remain extremely grateful for the Naperville Police Department and their ongoing efforts to keep our community safe.”