Niles shooting: Cook County Corrections officer charged in fatal shooting outside Miraj restaurant

NILES, Ill. (WLS) -- A now-former Cook County Corrections officer has been charged with murder after a fatal shooting outside of a Niles nightclub Sunday, police said.

Alan Kettina, 25, of Northbrook was charged with first degree murder, police said Tuesday. Kettina was employed with the Cook County Department of Corrections at the time of the shooting, police said.

The shooting took place early Sunday morning in the parking lot of Miraj at 8801 Milwaukee Avenue.

Police found a 22-year-old man from Niles wounded in the parking lot. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later died. He has been identified to the Cook County medical Examiner's Office as Mark Asber of Niles.

Investigators said the victim and suspect knew each other prior to the shooting.

"There is video surveillance that captured the defendant parking his car and the shooting incident that followed," said Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Ravin.

Ravin said the victim, who was a bus boy at Miraj, got into the defendant's Jeep after leaving the nightclub. They drove around for a few minues before the victim got out of the car. Prosecutors said Kettina shot him in the back as he was walking away.

"The defendant admitted to officers, he shot the victim when the victim had his back turned. The defendant stated that he knew it was wrong, 'because his back was towards me,'" Ravin said.

Kettina's attorneys claim, the victim intimidated and threatened to harm him and his family if he did not smuggle contraband into the Cook County Jail.

Kettina appeared in bond court Tuesday morning. His bail was set at $400,000.

A spokesperson for the Cook County Sheriff's Office said in a statement, "Corrections Officer Alan Kettina was hired in November 2021. He was de-deputized Sunday in connection with a criminal investigation being conducted by the Niles Police Department."

Kettina is due back in court on June 1.

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