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Prosecutors have revealed new details behind what they say happened in the moments leading up to a deadly shooting in a Wheaton bar just before the Christmas holiday.
Michael Freund, 49, of Aurora, faces one count of first-degree murder in the killing of Dexter Perkins at Rosie O'Reilly's Bar last week. He was denied pre-trial release in court.
The shooting was reported at around 8:45 a.m. Friday at the bar, located at 0N131 Gary Ave.
The bar's owners said the argument started over leftover pizza between the victim — a regular — and three first-time customers.
"One minute they’re hugging, next minute they’re arguing and then the guy went to get his gun," owner John Dwyer said.
The argument then spilled out onto the front deck where shots were fired. Rosie O'Reilly's owners showed NBC Chicago footage recorded by another bar patron that showed one man pulling out a gun and firing two shots into the air.
Prosecutors said "a brief scuffle ensued on the outside front porch of the bar between Perkins, Freund and two other men, which ultimately resulted in Freund pulling out a 9 mm Glock handgun from his jacket pocket and firing two warning shots into the air."
"It is further alleged that after Freund fired the warning shots, Perkins approached the other man at which time Freund, who was standing on the other side of a wooden railing, fired at him, striking him in the torso and in the face. It is alleged that after the shooting, Freund placed the Glock, which had been fired a total of eleven times, in the center console of his truck where it was ultimately found by law enforcement,'' a release from DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick stated.