Daniel B. Pederson : “Man Accused of Threatening Mass Shooting Denied Pre-Trial Release”

A Chicago man denied pre-trial release after allegedly threatening mass shooting at Lake County Courthouse

A judge in Lake County has denied pre-trial release to a Chicago man accused of making a threatening remark about carrying out a mass shooting with “military precision” at the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan. Prosecutors labelled the man as “dangerous.”

According to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli, the incident came to light on June 14 when a man on Chicago’s Riverwalk handed a note to a security guard at a local restaurant. The note contained a threat of a mass shooting at the courthouse, targeting a Lake County judge and a Chicago police officer working with the FBI.

The note specifically mentioned Courtroom 103, the jurisdiction of Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim, who had previously handled a case involving the accused, identified as Daniel B. Pederson, 42, from Chicago.

Following an investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, Pederson was located and arrested on June 27. Subsequently, an arrest warrant was obtained for him on a charge of threatening a public official, a Class 3 felony, with the possibility of additional charges.

Pederson was taken into custody by members of the Sheriff’s Warrants Team in Chicago and transferred to Lake County Jail for a First Appearance Court hearing. However, during the hearing, Pederson’s behaviour led to his swift removal from the courtroom by deputies.

The state’s attorney’s office filed a petition to detain Pederson, citing his history of making threats against officials. Kane County Judge Salvatore LoPiccolo presided over the detention hearing and granted the request to hold Pederson in Lake County Jail until trial.

LoPiccolo emphasised the seriousness of Pederson’s actions, highlighting his past conviction in 2018 for threatening terrorist activity and his previous history of violating orders of protection and harassment.

Prosecutors argued that Pederson poses a significant risk to the public, given his fixation on Judge Nerheim and the courthouse. The judge concurred, stating that no conditions of release would guarantee the safety of the community.

This incident is not the first time Pederson has faced legal consequences for making threats. In 2014, he was arrested for threatening violence against a state agency and was sentenced to six years in prison for terrorist threats.