A man has been charged with firing shots at a party where multiple children were present, leaving a man with a gunshot wound near Harvard early Sunday morning.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 12:54 a.m. Sunday to the 8800 block of Reese Road in unincorporated Harvard.
McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Tim Creighton said deputies received a call for shots fired at a party.
According to police radio traffic, a teenager called 911 to report the incident. The caller reported that several juveniles were present at the party.
Deputies along with officers from Harvard Police Department arrived at the property and made contact with three people outside a barn.
Creighton said one of the subjects was identified as the suspect, Daniel A. Morales, 40, who resides at the house on the property.
Deputies learned that Morales and another partygoer had a verbal argument.
Morales pulled a gun out from his waistband and fired a round into the ground inside the barn, Creighton said.
He then walked outside the barn and fired another round into the ground, Creighton said.
A male victim suffered a wound to his left foot and initially left the scene but returned when deputies arrived.
Creighton said the Harvard Fire Protection District responded to evaluate the victim and he declined transport to the hospital.
Morales was arrested and transported to the McHenry County Jail without incident.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and approved charges of aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated assault with a firearm and reckless discharge of a firearm.
The most serious charge, aggravated battery with a firearm, is a Class X felony that carries six to 30 years in prison if convicted.
McHenry County Judge Michael Coppedge ordered Morales held on a $100,000 bond. The judge also ordered Morales to surrender his firearms upon his release.
Morales was released from the jail Monday after posting 10% of his bond.
A status of preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.