Man Fired Gun At Chicago Park Had AR-15, Mass Shooting Notes: Reports

CHICAGO — A Woodridge man is being held on $300,000 bond after police said he fired a gun in a vacant park in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. Alexander Podgorny, 29, appeared Aug. 4 before Cook County Judge Maryam Ahmad on five felony counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

Chicago police were alerted by ShotSpotter to a round being fired at Moran Park near 57th Street and Racine Avenue around 3:30 p.m. Aug. 4. When officers arrived, they found a man, later identified as Podgorny, standing near his minivan with a loaded handgun, according to news reports.

Officers found a loaded shotgun, an AR-15 and two other handguns — all “readily accessible and ready to be fired,” police said. In addition, there were "thousands of rounds of ammo and 300 spent shell casings, a hatchet and a pruning saw," NBC 5 Chicago reported.

Found inside the minivan were a large number of disturbing notes with incoherent rants and references to mass shootings, police said. As he was being taken into custody, officers said Podgorny ranted “about his brother, drug addiction and his missing dog.”

Podgorny had a valid FOID card, but not a conceal-carry license, police said. A “clear and present danger” report with Illinois State Police. Podgorny’s next court date is Aug. 12.