Man, 19, charged with firing shots into air in Niles

A 19-year-old man was charged with firing shots into the air last week in north suburban Niles.

Police responded about 9:30 p.m. Aug. 17 to a report of three shots fired in the 7200 block of Greenleaf Avenue, according to a statement from Niles police.

Surveillance footage showed a light-colored car pull onto Greenleaf from Harlem Avenue and come to a stop, police said. The driver of the vehicle fired a single shot into the air as the male passenger got out and continued walking down the street.

The driver then fired two more rounds from a semiautomatic handgun into the air as the car continued west on Greenleaf, police said.

Officers searched the immediate area and could not find the vehicle or passenger, police said. They identified a person of interest and a suspect vehicle in an immediate follow-up investigation.

Detectives conducted surveillance near the person of interest’s home to gather additional information, police said. They took the suspect and his vehicle into custody without incident about 11:30 a.m. Thursday in the 10000 block of Linda Lane in northwest suburban Des Plaines.

The suspect was interviewed at the Niles Police Department and an admission was given, police said.

Nico C. Campus was charged with one count of reckless discharge of a firearm and one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, police said. Both charges carry the potential for one to three years in prison and fines up to $25,000.

Campus’ bond was set at $50,000, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office. His next court appearance was scheduled for Sept. 19.