A quiet Saturday night in Antioch turned tense when a 76-year-old homeowner fired a shotgun near a private pond to scare off fishermen, authorities said. Pellets from the blast hit the water close to the anglers' boat, but no injuries were reported. The man was arrested and is now waiting for an initial court appearance.
Deputies were called around 9 p.m. to a trespassing complaint in the 43000 block of North Lake Avenue, after fishermen reached a privately owned pond by traveling through a public channel, according to FOX 32 Chicago. While dispatchers were on the phone with the fishermen, they heard a gunshot in the background, the station reports.
Investigators later determined the homeowner had discharged a shotgun, with pellets striking the water near the boat. "Cartner admitted to firing his weapon into the air in an attempt to warn the individuals to leave," FOX 32 reported.
Lake County deputies identified the homeowner as Theodore Cartner. They say he voluntarily handed over his firearm to authorities and was taken into custody. He is now awaiting an initial court date, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Legal context
Under Illinois law, discharging a firearm in a reckless manner that endangers another person can be prosecuted under the state's deadly-weapons statutes, including provisions for reckless or aggravated discharge of a firearm. The Illinois General Assembly's criminal code lays out those offenses in Article 24 of the Criminal Code of 2012 (Illinois General Assembly).
