Police: Man claims he fired gun in air to celebrate Fourth of July

A Monee man was arrested after he was accused of firing a 9 mm handgun into the air and claiming it was in celebration of the Fourth of July, police said.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a shooting about 11 p.m. Monday in the 25900 block of Castle Gate Drive in Monee, Will County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Dan Jungles said. Monee is about 23 miles southeast of Joliet.

A caller reported that Leo Herman, 52, of Monee was intoxicated, holding a gun and made statements about wanting to harm himself, Jungles said.

The caller saw Herman fire a gun into the air, enter his Chevrolet Silverado and drive away from the scene, Jungles said.

Deputies stopped the vehicle on the 9800 block of West Bruns Road and detained Herman.

Deputies found a loaded Smith and Wesson 9 mm handgun from the back of the front passenger seat of the vehicle.

Additional ammunition also was found inside the vehicle.

An emergency crew was called to the scene to assess Herman’s condition and he signed a refusal for medical treatment.

Herman told deputies that he fired the gun in the air in celebration of the Fourth of July and he did not think it was unlawful to do so.

Jungles said there were numerous witnesses to the incident.

Herman was arrested on probable cause of reckless discharge of a firearm and transported to the Will County jail.

Herman’s bond was set at $10,000 and he posted 10% of that amount for his release from jail about 11 a.m. Tuesday, according to jail records.

On Tuesday, Zandra Rent, 47, of Joliet had been arrested on a charge of reckless discharge of a firearm after police said she fired a gun into the air on the Fourth of July.