St. Charles School Board President, His Wife Honored for Heroic Actions During Shooting Incident

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ST. CHARLES, IL -- St. Charles District 303 School Board President Steve Spurling and his wife, Diane, were honored Monday at a St. Charles City Council meeting for their quick and heroic actions during a domestic violence incident that resulted in shots being fired into a neighborhood last month, the Daily Herald reports.

The couple was given a citizen award during Monday’s meeting and Police Chief James Keegan shared an account of the May 3 incident, which ended in Steve Spurling tackling and holding down the man who opened fire in the 400 block of Hunt Club Drive in St. Charles. Scott J. Turyna, of the 400 block of Hunt Club Drive, is charged with attempted murder in connection with the shooting.

Keegan said "the unselfish actions taken by Steven and Diane during this tragic incident prevented a far worse outcome," according to the Daily Herald.

"(Turyna) had a total disregard for those around him and appeared determined to elicit great bodily harm to the victim or possibly worse. Their willingness to place themselves in harm's way in aid of a fellow citizen is greatly commended," Keegan said.

Steve and Diane Spurling were walking by the Turyna's home on May 3 when they spotted the wife fleeing the home. She was bloodied and the Spurlings came to her aid. Turyna came out and tried to explain that the woman had just fallen but Diane Spurling started walking with the victim to get her away.

Turyna walked after them and produced a Smith and Wesson .38 caliber 5-shot revolver and began firing in the direction of the two women, Kintz said.

"One shot went off and then another. It took a second or two for me to register what was happening,” Spurling told Patch in an earlier interivew.

When he did, he quickly grabbed the shooter and tackled him to the ground. He estimates that a total of four shots were fired. Spurling got the handgun and threw it away from the area. He then held the suspect down until police arrived.

RELATED: School Board President Tackles Shooter Who Opened Fire in St. Charles Subdivision

The victim ran to a home in the 500 block of Steeplechase Road, screaming that she needed help, police said. A teenager let the injured woman into the home. The woman was later taken to Delnor Hospital with extensive injuries.

The May 3 shooting incident stemmed from an argument over financial matters between Turyna and his wife. Turyna threatened to kill the woman and pushed her down on the kitchen floor, sat on her chest and started punching her in the head and upper body, Kintz said.

“He let her up and walked towards a cabinet where his wife knew a handgun was stored,” Kintz said. “She ran out of the garage and crawled under the garage door as it was opening.”

Scott Turyna now faces several charges. He is charged with one count of attempted murder, a class 1 felony; two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, a class X felony; one count of aggravated domestic battery, a class 2 felony; and one count of interference with the reporting of a domestic violence, a class A misdemeanor. Turyna remained in custody Thursday morning.

Police have not been called to the home in the past for any domestic-related reports.

If convicted on the most serious charge, Turnya could face between six to 30 years in prison.

As a condition of his bail, Turnya can not go near his residence nor the Elmhurst residence and St. Charles gym where his daughter works and has been ordered to wear a GPS device, the Daily Herald reports.

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