In Lockport Township, a long-running feud between a 70-year-old man named John Shadbar and his neighbor, a 45-year-old white woman with a 21-year-old African-American son, escalated into violence, leading to Shadbar being charged with attempted murder, a hate crime, and seven additional offenses.
On Thursday afternoon, Judge Donald DeWilkins of Will County listened to prosecutor Tricia McKenna’s account of the incident, detailing how Shadbar had repeatedly referred to his neighbor using a racial slur, branding her a “(racial slur) lover.” This culminated on Tuesday when Shadbar allegedly shot her in the stomach with a rifle, resulting in severe injuries.
According to courtroom testimony, the shooting occurred in the backyard of the victim’s home, leaving her with significant damage to her colon, spleen, and ribs. After being shot, she crawled into her kitchen, moaning that she had been shot. A 40-something-year-old woman who also lived at the victim’s house called 911 for help. The victim suffered additional injuries, including significant damage to her hand, and Shadbar also shot out one of her home’s windows.
Multiple neighbors told police that Shadbar was a known racist with a history of hostility toward his neighbor. He was nicknamed “Pistol Pete” and had previously harassed the 45-year-old woman and her son, using racial slurs and engaging in aggressive behavior. Prosecutors noted that Shadbar had confronted the 21-year-old son while armed with an AK-47 and had thrown M-80 fireworks into their backyard on more than one occasion. Additionally, Shadbar’s criminal record revealed a violent past, with felony convictions from the 1970s, which legally disqualified him from possessing firearms.
Despite these revelations, Shadbar’s public defender argued for his pretrial release, noting that the sheriff’s deputies had already confiscated Shadbar’s ammunition and firearms. However, the judge denied the request, citing the danger Shadbar posed to his neighbors and the community at large.
The preliminary hearing for the case is set for May 23 in Courtroom 405, overseen by Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak. This ongoing case has garnered significant attention due to its elements of racial hate and violence, as well as the long-standing animosity between Shadbar and his neighbor.
