Lockport man pleads not guilty to hate crime, other charges in shooting of neighbor
A Lockport man has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and hate crime charges in connection with the shooting of his neighbor this month.
John Shadbar, 70, appeared in court for his arraignment Thursday on charges that he shot his 45-year-old neighbor with an assault rifle May 7 outside their far southwest suburban homes on West 144th Place. Authorities have described the shooting as “racially motivated” because victim Melissa Robertson, who is white, has two sons who are Black.
Robertson suffered gunshot wounds to her abdomen and hand and has made improvements in her recovery over the last couple of weeks. She underwent surgery to repair her colon and spleen, and doctors removed multiple ribs. She also will require reconstructive hand surgery, her family said.
Robertson was taken off a ventilator and was moved out of an intensive care unit room Tuesday, but she remains hospitalized, according to her family.
“If you know Melissa, you know what a kind, giving person she is,” Natalie Beyer, Robertson’s niece, wrote on a GoFundMe page that has raised nearly $14,000. “You know that she is also a single mother who works hard for her children and pets.”
Shadbar faces counts of attempted murder, committing a hate crime, discharge of a firearm, invalid Firearm Owner’s Identification Card and five other charges.
During a search of Shadbar’s home days after the shooting, deputies found five guns hidden inside a wall: two AK-47-style rifles, a shotgun and two handguns, authorities said. Shadbar was arrested on felony charges in 1979, and his Firearm Owner's Identification card has been revoked since then, according to the Will County sheriff’s office.
A judge has ordered Shadbar held in custody while he awaits trial.
His next court date is scheduled for June 14.
Shadbar’s wife works as a correctional officer for the Cook County sheriff’s office. She is being investigated by the department as a result of the shooting and has been de-deputized while the investigation is ongoing, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office.