A man has admitted to threatening children who were riding bikes on Crystal Lake South High School property, telling them that he was going to shoot them.

Aaron Elijah Pittner, 30, who authorities said didn’t actually have a gun when he made the threat, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct involving a threat to a school building or persons, a Class 4 felony.

He was sentenced to 18 months in prison, of which he is required to serve half, followed by six months of mandatory supervised release, Judge Tiffany Davis wrote in an order filed in McHenry County court.

About 6:30 p.m. Aug, 22, 2024, police said, Pittner threatened eight children who were about 12 years old and who were riding their bikes on school grounds. During his initial court appearance, prosecutors said that Pittner had lifted his shirt and motioned as if he had a gun, and said he was going to shoot at the children or get a gang to shoot them.

Pittner, who lists a Crystal Lake address in court records but also states that he is homeless, has two past convictions involving violence against strangers and served prison time in each case, former Assistant State’s Attorney Stephen Gregorowicz said during Pittner’s initial court appearance.

In 2022, Pittner was convicted of aggravated battery in a public place; he along with three other men had been accused of “jumping” a man under a bridge in McHenry, with Pittner striking and kicking the man in the face and body, causing injuries, according to Gregorowicz and the indictment in that case.

In 2019, authorities said, Pittner yelled at and pushed a firefighter who was helping him into an ambulance, according to the prosecutor and the indictment in that case. Gregorowicz said Pittner threatened to “pluck out” the firefighter’s eyeballs.

During that initial hearing, Assistant Public Defender David Giesinger said Pittner denied “threatening anyone.” Pittner was walking by the school where the kids were riding bikes, he had no gun in his possession, and he did not display a gun, Giesinger said.

“There was no threat of shooting anyone,” the defense attorney said, adding that the children were “subjectively feeling a threat, but he took no steps to actually harm them, and he had no firearm.”