$200,000 bond set in shooting near school
A Cook County judge set bond at $200,000 for 31-year-old truck driver Brian Nigro, at a hearing Thursday in a Rolling Meadows courtroom. Nigro was charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon in the shooting that occurred Wednesday at his home in the 100 block of Arizona Boulevard in Hoffman Estates, about a half mile from Fairview Elementary School and a mile from Conant High School. The bond also orders Nigro, who has no criminal background, to have no contact with the victim.
No one was injured in the incident and no students or school personnel were endangered, Hoffman Estates police said.
After a verbal argument between Nigro and another man grew heated, Nigro - who assistant state's attorney Scott Biestek described as a "type of gun enthusiast" - loaded his rifle and fired twice at the victim, the second time hitting a wall just above the man's head, authorities said. Nigro left the residence shortly thereafter, and Hoffman Estates police apprehended him without incident in the 80 block of Arizona Boulevard. The police recovered five guns and confiscated Nigro's firearm owners identification card, said Biestek.
Nigro said that had he been able to find his Colt .45, he would have put a bullet between the victim's eyes, said Biestek referring to a statement Nigro gave to police.
The charges are Class 1 felonies, which carry a sentence of four to 15 years, said Biestek, who added that "additional charges may be filed."