Man accused of threatening mass shooting in Boystown is accidentally released from jail
Wed. May 2, 2018 11:37 PM by GoPride.com News Staff
chicago authorities search for 31-year-old shane sleeper
photo credit // cook county sheriff's office
Search is on for 31-year-old Shane Sleeper who allegedly threatened ‘Orlando will happen in Chicago’
Chicago, IL -
The search is on for a Lakeview man who was accidentally released from the Cook County Jail.
Shane Sleeper, 31, who had been in custody since February, was erroneously released Tuesday. An hour prior, he had been ordered without bail after prosecutors introduced additional charges including state terrorism, hate crime and felony assault charges for allegedly making threats against gay bars in Boystown.
The Cook County Sheriff's Department said the department had not been informed about the new charges. According to CWBChicago, notifications about Sleeper's new bail and the grand jury indictments were dated incorrectly which may partially explain how he managed to get released when a judge ordered him held without bail.
One of the most serious charges against Sleeper involve threats he allegedly made against the employees and patrons of Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted. According to court documents, Sleeper sent the message "Orlando will happen in Chicago," in an apparent reference to the June 2016 mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando.
The erroneous release of Sleeper has put many in Chicago's LGBT community on edge, in particular the bars he threatened with violence.
"In a world where people hate us because of our sexual orientation or gender identity, this is very alarming," one community leader told ChicagoPride.com. "In a world where those with such hatred have instant access to weapons, this is very alarming."
Chicago police are searching for Sleeper, whose last known address was at 3550 North Lake Shore Drive. He may also have associates in Andersonville. Sleeper is white, 5-foot-11, and weighs about 185 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or Chicago police.
h/t CWBChicago
Shane Sleeper, 31, who had been in custody since February, was erroneously released Tuesday. An hour prior, he had been ordered without bail after prosecutors introduced additional charges including state terrorism, hate crime and felony assault charges for allegedly making threats against gay bars in Boystown.
The Cook County Sheriff's Department said the department had not been informed about the new charges. According to CWBChicago, notifications about Sleeper's new bail and the grand jury indictments were dated incorrectly which may partially explain how he managed to get released when a judge ordered him held without bail.
One of the most serious charges against Sleeper involve threats he allegedly made against the employees and patrons of Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted. According to court documents, Sleeper sent the message "Orlando will happen in Chicago," in an apparent reference to the June 2016 mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando.
The erroneous release of Sleeper has put many in Chicago's LGBT community on edge, in particular the bars he threatened with violence.
"In a world where people hate us because of our sexual orientation or gender identity, this is very alarming," one community leader told ChicagoPride.com. "In a world where those with such hatred have instant access to weapons, this is very alarming."
Chicago police are searching for Sleeper, whose last known address was at 3550 North Lake Shore Drive. He may also have associates in Andersonville. Sleeper is white, 5-foot-11, and weighs about 185 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or Chicago police.
h/t CWBChicago