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Man charged in brother's death at family store

TOLONO -- A man was charged with murder Thursday in the shooting death of his brother during a fight at the family's small-town grocery store in eastern Illinois.

Brian Maggio, 42, was charged in Champaign County Circuit Court with first-degree murder in the shooting of 32-year-old Mark Maggio at Maggio's IGA grocery in Tolono. The town is about 7 miles south of Champaign.

Brian Maggio told Champaign County sheriff's investigators that he shot Mark Maggio once Wednesday afternoon after the younger brother hit him in the stomach and, after briefly running away, turned back toward him, Assistant State's Attorney Steve Ziegler said. Witnesses, however, told investigators that the older Maggio pushed his younger brother to the floor, then shot him with a .357-caliber pistol.

The Public Defender's office is representing Brian Maggio but no attorney has been assigned to his case yet, First Assistant Public Defender Scott Schmidt said.

"We just got appointed on the case today and really aren't in a position to offer any further comment," he said.

Members of the Maggio family haven't returned messages left Thursday by The Associated Press.

Gary Brown, who has worked at the store for 23 years, says the brothers had financial difficulties. Between them they owned two stores, the one in Tolono and another in nearby Arcola.

"We keep hearing they were going to close in three weeks," he told The News-Gazette in Champaign.

Others in town of 2,700 were shocked by the shooting.

"It's so out of the blue," said Tricia Althaus, an employee of the nearby library whose husband once worked with Mark Maggio. "He always greeted you with a warm smile."

Brian Maggio is being held on $1 million bond. He is due in court for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 17.