Police: Palatine man accidentally discharged AR-15 into neighbors' apartment

A Palatine man faces a misdemeanor charge after police said he accidentally discharged a bullet into his upstairs neighbor's apartment while cleaning his AR-15 rifle Sunday night.

Jordan A. Johnson, 32, of the 800 block of Panorama Drive, is charged with one count of reckless conduct, a misdemeanor, Palatine police Cmdr. David Brandwein said Monday.

No one was injured, police said, and Johnson was released on bond pending a July 15 court appearance.

Johnson called police himself at 10:11 p.m. Sunday and has a valid Firearm Owners Identification card, Brandwein said.

Meanwhile, the couple upstairs plan to move elsewhere.

Ann Bell, who lives in the unit above Johnson's, said she and her husband were preparing to go to the grocery store Sunday night when they heard a noise. They were in a different room from the one the bullet traveled through, she said.

"All of a sudden we hear a 'pop.' To me it sounded like ... almost like a light bulb or some sort of electrical explosion. And we smelled smoke," she said.

The couple went into a bedroom that serves as a cat room and office for Bell, where they noticed a vacuum with a frayed chord and a damaged box of cat toys.

"A minute or two later, we hear a knock on the door from the Palatine Police Department," Bell said. "They were very quick."

Bell said she feels lucky no human or animal was hurt. She praised the work of Palatine police, saying they did "a fantastic job" of responding, communicating and following up.

Still, the episode was frightening, she said.

"I'd been in that room near that spot, probably two minutes before it happened," she said. "And my cat had also been almost in that exact same spot almost two minutes before it happened."

Now, Bell and her husband have begun to look for a new place. The apartment complex management is being understanding, she said.

"I personally can't live here," said Bell, adding that she is anti-gun and suffers from anxiety. "People can own guns, but they need to be extra careful."

Gun owners should educate themselves on handling and cleaning safety, Police Cmdr. Bruce Morris said.

"If they legally own a gun, safe and secure storage is of paramount importance. Always check twice prior to cleaning any handgun to make sure it is unloaded, and always handle a gun as if it were loaded," he said.

People can take a handgun safety courses. Also, Project ChildSafe at projectchildsafe.org/safety/get-a-safety-kit offers free safety kits that include a cable-style gun lock and safety instructions.