Joliet Man Shot Girlfriend During Dispute: Cops

A Joliet man shot his girlfriend during a dispute at their O’Neil Street home Friday night, police said.

Officers called to the house about 11 that night could see inside the home and noticed Michael Franchi, 34, and his 28-year-old girlfriend engaged in an altercation, police said. The officers also reportedly saw that Franchi was armed with a pistol.

Before the officers could go into the residence, the girlfriend came running out with Franchi chasing after her, police said.

The girlfriend reportedly told officers that Franchi had grabbed her, pushed her, and hit her in the face. She informed him she was leaving, went into a bedroom and he went downstairs, police said. When the girlfriend came back out of the bedroom, she reportedly saw Franchi had returned upstairs and was holding a pistol.

Franchi fired one time, police said. The bullet reportedly grazed the girlfriend’s elbow, then continued through a wall and into a bedroom.

The woman was transported to Presence St. Joseph Medical Center. Franchi was charged with aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated domestic battery. He was taken to the Will County jail and his bond was set at $500,000.

Franchi has a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification Card but the police said they are taking steps to have it revoked.

Two children, a 6-month-old and a 2-year-old, were in the house at the time of the shooting, police said, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services was contacted about the incident.

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