Man allegedly told kids on bikes outside Crystal Lake South he would shoot them but had no gun

A man charged with making a threat against Crystal Lake South High School is accused of telling 12-year-old children riding bikes at the school that he would shoot them, although he had no gun.

Aaron Pittner, 29, listed in court documents as living in Crystal Lake but homeless, is charged with disorderly conduct by transmitting a threat to a school building or persons, a Class 4 felony, according to the criminal complaint filed in McHenry County court. He was released from jail Friday pending trial.

During Friday’s pretrial detention hearing, Assistant State’s Attorney Steve Gregorowicz argued that Pittner be detained because he is a danger to the community. The prosecutor said Pittner was near the high school as eight juveniles were riding their bikes on the school grounds. He allegedly indicated that he had a gun and was going to shoot at them or get a gang to shoot them, Gregorowicz said.

When Judge Carl Metz questioned the prosecutor whether the Class 4 felony is detainable under the SAFE-T Act, Gregorowicz said it is in this case because Pittner is accused of making a threat to cause great bodily harm to the juveniles, lifting his shirt and indicating that he had a gun.

Gregorowicz also noted Pittner’s two past convictions, which included violence against strangers, for which he was sentenced to prison each time. 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.

That was Pittner’s second conviction of aggravated battery, with an earlier one in 2019. In that case, he yelled at and pushed a firefighter who was helping him into an ambulance, according to the prosecutor and the indictment in that case. Gregorowicz added that Pittner threatened the firefighter, telling him that he was going to “pluck out” the firefighter’s eyeballs.

The prosecutor said Pittner poses a threat to the safety of the community and “has a history of violent behavior ... against people he does not even know.”

“It is dangerous to let him roam the streets of McHenry County,” Gregorowicz said. “He was saying he was going to shoot kids. ... He has a lack of self-control and empathy. ... He is transient, and we have no idea where he lives.”

Assistant Public Defender David Giesinger countered that Pittner could be released with conditions. Pittner denies “threatening anyone,” Giesinger said. 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 [Pittner] shooting anyone,” the attorney said. The children were “subjectively feeling a threat, but he took no steps to actually harm them, and he had no firearm.”

Metz said that although the evidence against Pittner was strong, he did not believe this rises to the level of a threat of great bodily harm, which is required under the SAFE-T Act to be a detainable offense. Metz released Pittner from the county jail pretrial with conditions including that he have no contact with Crystal Lake South High School or any minors. He is required to surrender any and all firearms and other dangerous weapons in his possession to the Crystal Lake Police Department within 24 hours of release from custody.

Should he have a firearm’s owner’s identification card, he must surrender that to McHenry County officials within 24 hours of release. Pittner also will be on supervision, which means that each time he has a court appearance, he also is required to meet with court services. Pittner is due back in court Sept. 19.

Community High School District 155 spokesperson Shannon Podzimek wrote in an email Friday morning that the district was notified by police “of an incident in the community last night, that an arrest was made, and that there is no threat to the community. We continue to work closely with the Crystal Lake Police Department to ensure the safety of our students, staff and community.”