Two Streator men were charged with felonies Tuesday following an investigation into a gunshot fired Sept. 9 outside Thornton’s in Streator. There were no injuries.

Malik Curington, 21, was charged with one count of reckless discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon with no firearm owner’s ID card, both Class 4 felonies carrying one to three years in prison. The latter charge would require a trip to prison.

Curington appeared Tuesday in La Salle County Circuit Court for a detention hearing. He and his lawyer successfully argued for pre-trial release and Curington was let go with an Oct. 10 court date.

Meanwhile, the alleged victim also faces a felony charge from the same incident.

Antonio R. Patterson Jr., 22, of Streator was charged with aggravated battery (range: two to five years) for allegedly “tackling” Curington in an altercation shortly before the gun went off.

What happened is disputed. According to open-court statements, Streator police obtained video surveillance of the altercation. To hear prosecutors tell it, the video showed Curington pulling a gun and discharging a round, which did not strike anyone.

Prosecutor Kelley Porter said the incident happened late afternoon in a busy area where a bystander could have been struck with gunfire.

“The defendant poses a serious threat to the community,” Porter said, urging the judge to deny Curington any form of pre-trial release.

Public Defender Ryan Hamer argued that Curington has a limited criminal history and was deemed low-risk, scoring a 3 on a 14-point risk assessment. Hamer argued it was Patterson’s gun, not Curington’s, and that Curington could argue he acted out of necessity or self-defense.

“The alleged victim (Patterson) is the aggressor here,” Hamer said. “The alleged victim is the one who had the gun.”