Endangering Safety Charge For Man Accused Of Accidentally Firing Gun

By Sam Borcia, the Lake & McHenry County Scanner

A 28-year-old man was arrested after he claimed to have accidentally discharged his rifle in an apartment building in Johnsburg, police said.

Michael A. Kathan, 28, of the 2900 block of North Richmond Road in Johnsburg, was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm, a Class 4 felony.

A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said that Kathan discharged a firearm, endangering the safety of the residents in a three-story apartment complex on Tuesday.

Johnsburg Chief of Police Keith Von Allmen said that officers responded to the apartment complex in the 2900 block of North Richmond Road after Kathan called 911.

The man reported that he had accidentally discharged a single round from his rifle.

Von Allmen said the discharged round went into the floor of Kathan’s apartment. No injuries were reported.

No one was home in the below apartment at the time of the incident. Officers took Kathan into custody around 8 p.m. Tuesday and transported him to the McHenry County Jail.

McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis set Kathan’s bond at $10,000. He was released after posting $1,000 cash, court records show.

As part of his bond conditions, Kathan was ordered to surrender all of his firearms to the police department.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 14.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner is a local breaking news website covering issues that matter such as shootings, stabbings, house fires, kidnappings, car accidents, and more around Lake County and McHenry County.