Schaumburg man charged with shooting tree trimmer over noise, leading to hours-long standoff

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (WLS) -- A 55-year-old Schaumburg man is charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting a tree trimmer on the job Wednesday, leading to an hours-long standoff.

Michael Lang is charged with one count of attempted murder and one count of aggravated battery with a firearm, Schaumburg police said.

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"I mean you never seen anything like this, right?" said Case Van Wingerden, who lives near the site of the shooting.

Van Wingerden recounted the moments a torrent of heavily armed law enforcement packed his quiet Schaumburg neighborhood, after police say a man in his 50s shot a tree trimmer, just before 3 p.m. Wednesday, then barricaded himself in his home.

Police say the shooting was the result of a noise dispute between the alleged shooter and the tree trimmer in the 800-block of South Braintree Drive.

"I just heard they were trimming trees, and he didn't like the noise. And there was a confrontation, and he shot the guy," neighbor Joan Mundtstock said. "I had a friend come over, and we biked six miles. And I was telling him how wonderful the neighborhood is."

Police said Lang was the only person home during the incident. According to police, Lang came outside as the crew of four tree trimmers were working, yelling at the 66-year-old victim and his coworkers about making too much noise. He also told them to leave, police said.

Police said the workers were in the process of packing up to go when Lang got a handgun out of his car and shot the victim in the abdomen once. He then ran into his garage and closed the door, according to police.

"To see 40 cop cars, to see heavily armored vehicles, to see these guys in like full military-esque outfits, I mean, it was crazy, never seen anything like this," Van Wingerden said.

Case lives right across the street from the home police surrounded for hours.

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He shared doorbell camera video exclusively with ABC7 Chicago.

On the video, a shot can be heard, followed by what sounds like a yell.

Van Wingerden said he and his wife were kept down the street with neighbors, away from the scene, for more than six hours, as the police standoff unfolded.

Snipers, he said, were perched on his property.

"The neighborhood, like, kind of came together; I met more neighbors yesterday than I have living here the last two years," Van Wingerden said.

Authorities say the Lang eventually surrendered peacefully, and was put in police custody, just before 9:45 p.m., bringing the nerve-wracking day for the suburban neighborhood to an end.

But neighbors were still shaken the following morning.

"Oh, you wonder, what's going on? That's what. It's just shocking," neighbor Joan Mundstock said.

The victim is hospitalized in serious condition, but remains stable, at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.

Davey Tree Expert released a statement on the incident, saying, "We were horrified and devastated to learn of the shooting of a Davey Tree employee at a jobsite in Schaumburg, Illinois. Our thoughts and prayers are with our employee, his family, and the teammates who witnessed this tragic incident. Our focus is on the health of our employee who was transported to the hospital. Davey Tree will be cooperating with authorities and thanks them for their quick response and service toward keeping our communities safe."