Bloomington man charged in Ottawa school threat attacks jailer, La Salle County State’s Attorney says

A Bloomington man already charged with threatening a mass shooting at an Ottawa school now is accused of attacking one of his jailers.

Bruce Sirtoff, 38, did not appear Friday in La Salle County Circuit Court, having already been ordered detained on previous charges stemming from an alleged threat against Shepherd Middle School.

Instead, Sirtoff was presented with his newly filed charge of aggravated battery to a peace officer, a Class 2 felony carrying three to seven years in prison, and given a May 3 court date.

The La Salle County State’s Attorney’s Office filed the charge Thursday, a day after Sirtoff allegedly struck in the neck a corrections officer at the La Salle County Jail.

Sirtoff has been in custody since March 1, when he allegedly told police in Ottawa that he planned to conduct a mass shooting and detonate a bomb. A search of his residence produced “no items consistent with his threats,” and the alleged threat was uttered at night when no students would have been present.

After the report, prosecutors filed four felony charges led by making a terrorist threat, a Class X felony carrying six to 30 years in prison with no possibility of probation.

Sirtoff is set for trial May 20 on the threat-related charges. A separate trial setting on the aggravated battery charge could be handed down May 3.