Early Tuesday morning in Glendale Heights, a quiet apartment turned into a crime scene when a bullet tore through a bedroom wall and struck a sleeping relative on a couch, according to police. Officers were called to the 400 block of James Court around 4:06 a.m., where investigators say a gun being handled in a bedroom fired, sending a round into the living room. The injured family member was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital and later released, authorities said. Police identified the suspect as 21-year-old Fernando Cardoso.
In a press release, the Glendale Heights Police Department said officers determined the firearm was a Smith & Wesson .45 and that Cardoso had a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card at the time of the incident. According to the department, the DuPage County State’s Attorney approved a one-count felony charge of reckless discharge of a firearm, and Cardoso is set to be taken to First Appearance Court for a pretrial hearing. The release also noted that the family member who was hit received treatment at Good Samaritan Hospital and was released.
Charges and next steps
The DuPage County prosecutor’s office signed off on the felony charge, but booking and bail details were not immediately available, according to FOX 32 Chicago. Reckless discharge of a firearm as a Class 4 felony in Illinois typically carries a potential prison term of one to three years, with the possibility of extended terms in certain situations. Those ranges are spelled out in state law, which is available in the Illinois Compiled Statutes at ILGA.
Local context
This latest incident lands in a village that has already seen its share of close calls involving stray rounds. In January, a different Glendale Heights resident was charged after a bullet blasted through a wall into a neighboring apartment where four children were sleeping, according to the Daily Herald. That earlier case highlighted ongoing worries about unsecured or mishandled firearms in tightly packed residential buildings.
Glendale Heights police annual reports have also documented previous incidents in which bullets entered nearby homes, prompting repeated reminders about safe storage and careful handling of guns in the village. Local authorities emphasized that all charges in the current case are allegations and that Cardoso, like any defendant, is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. He is scheduled for a pretrial appearance in DuPage County, and the case will move forward through the local court system.
