Sheriff presents video briefing to Ogle County Board on Lost Nation shooting incident

By Jeff Helfrich, Editor in Chief

OREGON – At the Ogle County Board’s monthly meeting Tuesday, Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle presented a critical incident report on the June 12 shooting in Lost Nation in which three members of the Ogle County Emergency Response Team were shot.

Jonathan Gounaris, 32, of rural Dixon, who was also shot in the incident, was arrested without bail and charged Tuesday with four counts of attempted premeditated murder, three counts of aggravated use of a firearm, three counts of aggravated assault and two counts of possession of a firearm without a firearm owner’s identification (FOID) card. The incident was investigated by the Illinois State Police and the Ogle County District Attorney’s Office filed charges.

“The first step in the justice process is the arrest of the suspect,” VanVickle said. “It was good to hear that charges were filed. That made a lot of people happy today.”

The video shown to the board on Tuesday depicted the events from the perspective of Ogle County ERT Deputy Jon Shippert’s body camera. The video was also posted on social media and can be found on the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. The video contains graphic images and viewers are advised to use discretion.

On the morning of June 12, members of the Ogle County ERT responded to a call from a parent who stated that her adult son was having suicidal and homicidal thoughts. Information from the family member also indicated that the suspect was armed with multiple firearms, VanVickle said, and it was learned that Gounaris’ FOID card was revoked due to a clear and present danger report.

The Ogle County ERT is comprised of personnel from multiple agencies, including the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon Police Department, and Byron Police Department, as well as SWAT paramedics from the Rochelle Fire Department.

The incident occurred at 402 Wild Rice Lane in Lost Nation. Ogle County ERT arrived on scene at 10:20 a.m. and a hostage negotiator arrived and attempted to make contact with the individual, with over 50 calls of varying forms received no response.

“The information we received from the family member was that this was most likely a suicide by police officer situation,” VanVickle said June 12. “There was no one else in the apartment. The family member who called was not in the apartment. The suspect was alone in the apartment, and that was confirmed to us by the family member. We assumed he intended to harm police officers. That is the information the family member gave us.”

The Ogle County ERT entered the residence at 11:51 a.m. and was immediately met with gunfire before returning fire and incapacitating Gounaris, VanVickle said. Struck in the exchange of gunfire were Ogle County ERT members Tyler Carls (Rochelle Fire Department), Lt. Jason Ketter (Ogle County Sheriff’s Office) and Sgt. Tad Dominski (Oregon Police).

Gounaris was found with a gunshot wound behind the front door of the home. VanVickle said Gounaris was armed with two handguns, a fixed blade knife, pepper spray and ballistic protective gear.

Carls and Dominski were taken to KSB Hospital where they treated their injuries and released the same day. Ketter was flown to OSF St. Anthony Medical Center where he underwent surgery and was released on Friday, June 14. Gounaris underwent surgery and was released from the hospital before being arrested. He is currently in the Winnebago County Jail and has a court date in Ogle County Court on Thursday, June 20.

Video shown Tuesday shows ERT members approaching the house and entering it with a battering ram. In total, over 20 shots can be heard as they enter. ERT members are then seen helping members who are under fire. ERT members talk about who is “down,” to which one member responds, “The bad guy.” At the end of the video, ERT members are seen inside the house requesting a medic.

After the ISP’s investigation is complete, the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office will review the incident to determine if any violations of agency policies occurred.

VanVickle was visibly moved after presenting the video to the Ogle County Board on Tuesday.

“I’ve seen this many times,” VanVickle said. “But it’s not getting any easier. Everyone is fine. We appreciate everything you do.”

Speaking to the Rochelle News-Leader and Ogle County Life on Tuesday, VanVickle said he and his office decided to release the footage to the public to provide transparency and show citizens the work deputies and ERT members do. He said reviewing the footage was “eye-opening.”

“I think that’s one benefit we’ve found with the body cameras: They tell the real story, bring closure and help tell the story,” VanVickle said. “That’s helped me and the officers. People can see what they’re doing and what happened and know that they did what they were trained to do and that everything was right.”

A week after the Lost Nation incident, VanVickle said his office has begun to make progress. A critical incident debriefing is scheduled for his office and the ERT on Wednesday, June 19, and training will continue after that.

The sheriff thanked the community for their support during a difficult time for his office and the Ogle County ERT.

“We’ve always said we’re grateful to live in the rural Midwest where this level of support is common,” VanVickle said. “It’s how we treat people and people treat us. That’s what it takes when someone hurts multiple members of your family. We really appreciate this great support from the community.”

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In a press release Tuesday announcing the charges against Gounaris, Ogle County District Attorney Mike Rock outlined the potential penalties that could result.

Attempted premeditated murder is a Class X felony punishable by a special sentence of 20 to 80 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, followed by three years of mandatory probation.

Discharge of a firearm under aggravated circumstances is a Class X felony punishable by a special sentence of 10 to 45 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections followed by three years of mandatory probation.

Aggravated assault is a Class X felony punishable by a special sentence of 15 to 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections followed by three years of mandatory probation.

Possession of a firearm without a FOID card is a Class 3 felony punishable by 2–5 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections followed by six months of mandatory probation.

The charges are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.