Richard Niemiec, who fired eight shots at an intruder who had broken into his home in unincorporated Naperville, said the man “can come back if he wants. I’ll wait for him tomorrow morning.” (Credit: CBS)
UPDATED: 12/11/2012 – 5:09 p.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) — A homeowner shot an intruder in his home in unincorporated DuPage County near Naperville on Tuesday, but the suspect was able to get away.
A school in the area was briefly on lockdown after the shooting.
The incident happened on Woodcrest Drive in the Steeple Run subdivision.
CBS 2′s Suzanne Le Mignot reports, Tuesday morning, homeowner Richard Niemiec fired his 9mm handgun at least eight times at a burglar standing at his back door, after being roused out of bed by his dog.
“He can come back if he wants. I’ll wait for him tomorrow morning,” he said.
Niemiec said his 5 ½-year-old dog Bruiser woke him up, letting him know someone had just broken into his home. So he grabbed his gun, then saw a shadowy figure, wearing a hoodie, standing in his kitchen.
“I thought it was a dream; it was just a dream, it’s a shadow, because you don’t expect somebody to be in your house,” Niemec said.
Tuesday morning, evidence technicians were behind the home. Niemiec said an officer followed footsteps through his frost-covered back yard, leading to a nearby school.
“Evidently, the subject had his car parked by the Steeple Run School, so they shut the school down, just to be safe,” he said.
Shortly before 7 a.m., officials at Steeple Run Elementary at 6S151 Steeple Run Drive were notified that an armed person was in the area and the school was locked down, Naperville Unit District 203 spokeswoman Susan Rice said.
Students on buses headed to Steeple Run were diverted to Kennedy Junior High School in Lisle, Rice said.
Parents were directed to keep children at home via text, voice mail, and email through the school’s emergency messaging system, Rice said.
The school was given permission to have students return at 9:45 a.m., Rice said.
Neimiec has some advice for homeowners when it comes to outdoor furniture.
“He stood on a little table out there. So, people watching this, don’t leave little tables outside right next to your windows, where people can gain entrance to your house,” he said.
DuPage County Sheriff’s police were searching for the burglary suspect. It was not clear if the suspect was wounded.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
