A Compton man has pleaded not guilty to charges that include attempted first-degree murder that were filed against him in the wake of an April 12 altercation.

Matthew L. Steele, 38, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to attempted first-degree murder, a Class X felony; aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony; possession of a firearm without a valid Firearm Owners Identification Card, a Class 3 felony; aggravated assault, a Class 4 felony; domestic battery, a Class 4 felony as he was previously convicted twice of that offense; battery and driving under the influence of alcohol, both Class A misdemeanors.

He’s been held in the Lee County Jail since his arrest April 12, according to court records.

On Wednesday, Steele appeared via Zoom from the jail before Lee County Circuit Judge Jacquelyn D. Ackert with his court appointed-attorney, Public Defender Will Fawkes.

Fawkes asked the court to reconsider its previous order for detention made Monday by Lee County Associate Judge Theresa Friel-Draper.

Fawkes said Steele is a single father of minor child and the mother does not have visitation with the child nor do they contribute financially to the child’s care. He also said Steele is currently employed as a farmhand in Shabbona and, until 2025, had been continuously employed at another farm for six years.

“Being incarcerated is obviously causing difficulties for Steele to care for his minor child,” Fawkes said.

Lee County State’s Attorney Charles Boonstra disagreed and argued that Steele be detained mainly due to the seriousness of the charges.

Boonstra said one of the people Steele lives with is a victim in this case. He said multiple witnesses saw Steele pull out and a fire a gun that he wasn’t allowed to carry in the first place.

Boonstra also said the information presented in court Wednesday was the same as presented to Friel-Draper on Monday.

Ackert agreed with Boonstra and denied the motion, noting also that Steele has two prior domestic battery convictions.

Steele’s next hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. May 7.

The charges: what we know

The charges stem from about 1:05 p.m. April 12, when Lee County sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call of a disturbance with shots fired in the 500 block of Carnahan Road in rural Compton. The caller indicated Steele was intoxicated, had been in a fight and shot at someone. They said Steele had since left the property in his vehicle and were not sure where the gun was, court records show.

Steele was arrested about 6 minutes later when a deputy located the vehicle he was driving on Chicago Road near German Road and pulled him over, court records show.

According to court documents, Steele told police the altercation was due to a family issue, he had a gun and fired several shots in the air to scare an individual involved. Police noted in their report that Steele’s Illinois FOID status was denied.

Witnesses at the scene told police that Steele slapped and punched one of his family members in the face and pushed another family member to the ground when they tried to intervene. One witness said Steele was highly intoxicated and has mental health issues, court records show.

The family member then got into their own vehicle and tried to leave the property. As they were driving away, witnesses said, Steele fired several shots at them. A firearm was located at the scene along with six spent shell casings, court records show.

The gunfire did not strike the victim, and any injuries during the altercation were reported to be minor, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.