Man Who Threatened To Shoot Up Social Security Office Is Free On Bond: Prosecutors

By Sam Borcia, the Lake & McHenry County Scanner

A Round Lake man out on bond for threatening to commit a shooting at the Waukegan social security office refused to turn over his guns after state police revoked his FOID card last week, prosecutors said.

Juan A. Diaz Jr., 50, of the 200 block of West Treehouse Lane in Round Lake, was charged with one count of harassment through electronic communications, a Class 4 felony.

Diaz made a claim for social security benefits, which was denied, Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Lindsay Hicks said during a bond hearing.

Diaz, upset with the denial, called the social security case manager and stated, “I’m going to come down there and shoot them all like the mass shooting that just happened,” Hicks said.

Round Lake police officers responded to Diaz’s residence and asked him if he had any weapons.

[Suggested Article] Round Lake man allegedly threatened shooting 'like the mass shooting that just happened' towards social security office in Waukegan

Diaz indicated “he was not going to give them up.” Diaz did have a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card, Hicks said.

The incident occurred on July 6 and Diaz was later arrested by the Waukegan Police Department, court records show.

Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak set Diaz’s bond at $100,000, which he posted $10,000 cash and was released from custody.

Potkonjak ordered him to not have any contact with the social security office, located at 1930 North Lewis Avenue in Waukegan, and with Congressman Brad Schneider’s office. It was not clear what incident occurred with Schneider’s office.

Potkonjak also ordered Diaz to surrender his FOID card and all his firearms as a condition of his bond.

During a Friday court hearing after Diaz had been released from jail, Assistant State’s Attorney Melinda Lange said that a “Clear and Present Danger” form had been submitted to the Illinois State Police.

[Suggested Article] Judge sentences Waukegan man to 3 years of periodic imprisonment for DUI crash into building that killed passenger

The state police have since revoked the man’s Firearm Owner’s Identification card following the report.

Lange said officers went back to Diaz’s home to take his guns, as part of his bond conditions, but the man told officers to “f–k themselves.”

Lange asked Potkonjak to again order Diaz to surrender all of his guns by 5 p.m. that day.

Diaz’s attorney confirmed his client had not surrendered his handgun, rifle and two shotguns and still had them in his possession.

It was not immediately known if Diaz surrendered his guns to officers as planned later that day following the court hearing.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 3.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner is a local breaking news website covering issues that matter such as shootings, stabbings, house fires, kidnappings, car accidents, and more around Lake County and McHenry County.