An Illinois man is facing charges of attempted first-degree murder and a hate crime following his arrest on Wednesday. The Will County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) stated that the man allegedly shot and injured a neighbor in what appears to be a racially motivated incident.
John P. Shadbar, a 70-year-old resident of Lockport Township, was taken into custody on Wednesday. He faces multiple charges, including attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.
Shadbar, who is currently being held at the Will County Adult Detention Facility, made a court appearance on Thursday afternoon. During the hearing, a judge denied his request for pre-trial release. The judge stated in court documents, obtained by ABC, that releasing Shadbar on bond would present a significant and immediate threat to the safety of individuals within the community.
The suspect faces a total of eight felony charges, which include first-degree attempted murder, a hate crime, aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm, invalid possession of a weapon, and three counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. At this point, it is uncertain whether Shadbar has hired legal representation for this particular case.
Authorities have indicated that the victim of the shooting is a 45-year-old woman. However, her identity has not been disclosed at this time.
Sheriff’s deputies from the WCSO swiftly arrived at the scene of the incident following a report of shots fired. The location of the incident was in Unincorporated Lockport Township, specifically at the intersection of 144th Place and Rickerman Road. The response took place at 5:37 PM local time on Tuesday.
The sheriff’s office reported that the suspect briefly barricaded himself inside his residence after the shooting. However, a crisis negotiator was able to persuade him to surrender and exit the residence, raising his hands in the process.
According to a statement from the WCSO, Shadbar made several incriminating statements while speaking to the crisis negotiator.
According to the statement, detectives are confident that they will be filing additional charges in relation to this case. They believe that this incident was driven by racial motivations.
Detectives and investigators have acquired video evidence of the shooting and are currently in the process of gathering more evidence. WCSO has stated that they will disclose further information as the investigation continues. Additionally, they are working towards obtaining a search warrant for the suspect’s residence.
Sheriff Mike Kelley expressed his gratitude to the brave individuals from the sheriff’s office, the Lockport Police Department, and Lockport Township Fire Protection for their heroic response at the scene.
In a statement on Wednesday, Kelley emphasized the bravery of those who willingly placed themselves in danger, fully aware of the presence of an armed individual in the vicinity who possessed the capability to shoot at them from a considerable distance.
Kelley emphasized the significance of collaboration and teamwork in stabilizing and safely evacuating the victim. According to Kelley, this incident serves as a shining example of how training and working together are vital in this line of work.
ABC News contacted the WCSO to gather more information and asked about the possibility of releasing surveillance video evidence in this case. However, the WCSO did not respond to requests for comment right away.