Schaumburg man charged in connection with shooting of tree-trimmer denied pretrial release
The Schaumburg man accused of shooting a tree-trimmer Wednesday afternoon and holding police at bay for hours before surrendering was denied pretrial release in court Friday after being charged late Thursday night.
Michael R. Lang, 55, of the 800 block of South Braintree Drive, faces one count each of attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm, both felonies. He appeared Friday in Rolling Meadows court.
The victim, a 66-year-old Hanover Park man, remained in serious but stable condition Friday, Schaumburg police Cmdr. Christy Lindhurst said.
After being called to the scene at 2:50 p.m. by a report of a gunshot wound, officers rescued the victim who was on the front lawn and brought him to paramedics waiting nearby. He received immediate treatment before being transported to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.
The victim and three co-workers were employees of a landscaping company employed by Lang’s father, who owns the home.
Police said their investigation found a fight began when Lang exited the home yelling at the workers about making too much noise and telling them to leave. They were gathering their equipment to go when Lang reportedly took a handgun from his vehicle in the driveway, pointed it at the victim, and fired one round into his abdomen, police said.
According to prosecutors Friday, Lang had said, “I told you to leave or one of you is going to die.”
After a standoff of several hours with Schaumburg officers assisted by the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS), Lang surrendered peacefully at 9:18 p.m., prosecutors said.
During the standoff, Lang reportedly called 911 twice. In the first, he told the dispatcher that someone keeps sending him messages from outer space. In the other, he requested an ambulance to take him to the hospital, police said.
Lang’s parents reportedly returned to the home just after 4:30 p.m. They confirmed their son had firearms inside but said they were unaware of his having any mental health issues, according to prosecutors.
Lang was first taken to Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village for a mental health evaluation before being transported to the Schaumburg police station. No one else was injured or inside the home during the event, police said.
Lang’s next scheduled hearing is on Aug. 23.