Ottawa man detained for firing into neighbor’s unit, prosecutors say

An Ottawa man who allegedly fired a gun through his floor – and through his neighbor’s ceiling – was ordered detained until his jury trial, now set for July 14.

He awaits a detention hearing after being charged with discharging a pistol while children were present – and despite a felony record that precluded him from possessing a weapon.

Nicholas R. Snyder, 35, appeared Thursday in La Salle County Circuit Court for a detention hearing. Prosecutors asked a judge to deny Snyder pretrial release on charges of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and reckless discharge of a firearm. Snyder could face up to five years in prison.

In open court, Assistant La Salle County State’s Attorney Matt Kidder said that Snyder, who is a felon and shouldn’t have had a gun in the first place, fired a shot into the floor and into the lower-level unit.

There were no injuries, but Snyder filed additional rounds and “in close proximity” of his children, who told Ottawa police their father “went psycho.”

Kidder argued that Snyder’s criminal history and alleged discharge of the gun were enough to present a danger to the public – “a bad combination in the state’s eyes” – and aggravated by Snyder’s history of noncompliance with terms of release.

In response, Peru attorney Douglas Olivero said Snyder’s record included no crimes of violence and Snyder, who has a history of substance abuse and mental health issues, had a “psychiatric episode” that shouldn’t preclude supervised release.

Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. was unpersuaded and ruled against home confinement, citing past cases where Snyder didn’t abide by court-ordered terms.

“Conditions weren’t working there,” Ryan said, “so I can’t think of any condition that’s going to safeguard the public and individuals.”

Snyder’s detention means prosecutors now have a 90-day window to bring him to trial. Ryan ordered Snyder to return July 3 for a motions hearing and July 3 for a final pretrial conference.