CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Police say there could have been a tragedy along the lakefront this holiday weekend, if it had not been for an observant hotel worker.
During a hot and humid Fourth of July, plenty of people were seen gathered on Ohio Street Beach and in the Navy Pier area; and meanwhile, across Lake Shore Drive, in a room in the W Hotel, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said a 32-year-old Iowa man may have been intent on carrying out mayhem.
According to Chicago police, a hotel worker, who was going in to clean, spotted a rifle in the man's hotel room. But that wasn’t all.
"There was also a handgun, along with the rifle, and five rifle magazines on the window sill," Supt. Brown said Tuesday at a news conference. "The employee alerted us. We made contact with this person, made the arrest, began interviews and we are also conducting gun tracing of both the rifle and the handgun."
Keegan Casteel, 32, of Ankeny, Iowa, a northern suburb of Des Moines, was arrested by Joint Terrorism Task Force officers. He and a companion were questioned. Police said Casteel did not possess a valid FOID card.
Supt. Brown called the hotel worker’s find “very concerning” and praised the hotel worker for reporting what he or she saw.
Casteel was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. He received a $10,000 bond during his initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon, meaning he’ll need to post $1,000 to be released, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
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