Bond set for teacher's accused killer
A DuPage County judge set bond at $3 million this morning for a Naperville man charged in the slaying of an elementary school teacher stabbed to death while trying to intervene in a bar fight early Saturday morning.
Daniel Olaska, 27, of the 1500 block of Foxhill Road, appeared in court via video teleconference facing one count of first-degree murder for the fatal stabbing of 24-year-old Shaun Wild and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the stabbings of Naperville Central College student Willie Hayes and another man.
At a news conference this morning, authorities said Olaska has no prior significant criminal record. About 12 members of his church attended this morning's court proceedings, but declined to comment afterward.
Wild, a 2011 graduate of North Central College and a second grade teacher at Spring Brook Elementary School, was remembered Saturday evening at the college by his football teammates and others at a campus gathering also attended by his parents.
"Shaun had this sparkle and this fire in his eyes," head football coach John Thorne said. "He had this kindness in his heart, and he always could make people smile and laugh."
Naperville police said that shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday, Naperville paramedics and police responded to a report of a stabbing at Frankie's Blue Room, 16 W. Chicago Ave. Upon arrival, paramedics and officers discovered three individuals suffering from stab wounds they received while inside the bar.
Wild, of Brown Deer, Wis., died from his injuries, officials said, while Hayes underwent surgery at Edward Hospital in Naperville and is in fair condition. The third victim was treated and released.
"We know there was an altercation (at) the establishment just before 1 a.m. and Olaska allegedly pulled a knife and stabbed (Wild), his acquaintance and a bouncer," DuPage County state's attorney spokesman Paul Darrah said.
Darrah could not comment on what may have led to the altercation or any other details, calling the case an open investigation. The state's attorney's office has scheduled a news conference for 9 a.m. Sunday to further discuss the murder.
News of Wild's death shook both the Indian Prairie Unit District 204 community, where he was a first-year teacher, and the North Central College campus.
David Worst, principal of Spring Brook Elementary School, and Hal Wilde, president of North Central College, sent out emails to their respective communities early Saturday morning.
"The Spring Brook community is deeply saddened by the death of one of our staff members, Shaun Wild, who passed away early Saturday morning at Edward Hospital," Worst wrote. "Shaun joined the Spring Brook staff this year as a second grade teacher. He was highly regarded by Spring Brook students, staff and parents."
Wild, a standout punter and kicker on the North Central football team from 2008-2010, is also currently featured on the college's website as a standout elementary education alumnus.
"I'm excited to be in this field at a time when many recognize the importance of a male influence in the classroom," Wild wrote. "When I was in grade school, I wasn't the best student. But a couple of male teachers influenced me for good at a critical time, and I want to do the same for others."
Wilde, the North Central College president, called both Wild and Hayes "important contributors to the Cardinal football team." He was at the hospital with Worst and many of Wild's family and friends on Saturday.
"Tragedies like this are, in some senses, beyond our comprehension as human beings. They run against what our minds and hearts tell us is the order of the universe. They are a moment to fall back on each other, our ties to the community and our faith in something larger than ourselves," Wilde said in a statement. "Many students, coaches, faculty, staff and alumni have lost a dear friend. The healing, the binding up of the wounds, will take a long time, but it begins today."