Doctors: Condition of Amtrak conductor shot in Naperville improving
Doctors caring for the Amtrak conductor shot by a passenger last week in Naperville upgraded his condition to serious from critical Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
Michael Case, 45, of Homewood, remains at Edward Hospital in Naperville, where doctors determined his condition improved a week after he was shot in the abdomen, causing "very significant intestinal injuries."
Case's doctors say he faces a lengthy recovery from damage to his intestines caused by a bullet from a .38-caliber revolver.
When he arrived at the hospital after the shooting, Case was "cold, clammy and in a slightly altered mental status," Edward's Trauma Medical Director David Piazza said last week. He required six hours of surgery to begin to repair the damaged organs.
Prosecutors say Amtrak passenger Edward Klein, a 79-year-old retired law enforcement officer from West Allis, Wisconsin, is accused of firing the shot at Case on May 16 from inside a stopped train while the conductor was on the platform at Naperville's 5th Avenue station.
Klein has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery. His next date in DuPage County court is June 12.
Case's wife of nine years, Sara Case, described her husband as a Navy veteran and former private schoolteacher who always stayed in shape. She said he joined Amtrak 10 years ago looking for a good, steady job, and he enjoys being on his feet.
Case's doctors say the bullet that struck him damaged his pancreas and a region of the intestines called the duodenum, but spared many of the major blood vessels in the area, which should help in his recovery.