Round Lake Beach veteran charged with firing gun during fight

A military veteran was arrested on charges of twice firing a handgun during a fight with a friend inside an upscale Lake Villa apartment complex, authorities said.

William Koziol, 26, of the 0-100 block of East Rosewood, Round Lake Beach, was charged with battery and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon early Tuesday, Lake Villa Police Chief Ron Roth said.

Officers received a distress call from a woman who said she had locked herself in a bathroom at 4:38 a.m. at Sanctuary Apartments on the 800 block of Sanctuary Drive. The woman said she was holding a gun that was fired during a scuffle between her boyfriend and Koziol inside the apartment, and that the men were still fighting while the call was taking place, Roth said.

Police officers forced their way inside the apartment to see Koziol held down on the floor by the second victim, Roth said. The woman and the male victim had been drinking with Koziol when Koziol made an unwanted sexual advance and touched the woman inappropriately, Roth said. The woman screamed and told her boyfriend, causing an argument, Roth said. During the verbal argument, Koziol was angry at himself for what he had done but went to the kitchen where a .40-caliber automatic pistol was located, Roth said. Koziol loaded the gun with a full magazine and chambered a round, Roth said.

The male victim tackled Koziol, and the two fought over the weapon, causing the gun to fire twice, Roth said. One bullet hit a piece of wood in the ceiling and a second hit a wall stud, he said.

No one was injured when the gun was fired, Roth said.

During the scuffle, the male victim wrestled the gun from Koziol and tossed it to the woman, who locked herself in the bathroom with the pistol and her cellphone, Roth said.

The gun was owned by the male victim, who had a valid firearm owner identification card, police said.

Koziol was charged with battery for inappropriately touching the female victim and felony charge of aggravated discharge of the firearm, Roth said.

Koziol has been released from jail after posting the required 10 percent of his $5,000 bond, jail officials said.

Roth said that Koziol and the male victim were honorably discharged members of the armed forces and served during the Iraq War. He did not know what branch of service each served in.

“It was very fortunate that no one was seriously hurt or worse, killed, in this situation,” Roth said. “I think the defining factor in the situation was the amount of alcohol that was consumed by everyone involved.”