A Repeat Offender: Erik Varvodic Faces New Charges for Alleged Shooting
A 31-year-old North Side man, Erik Varvodic, previously convicted of shooting at people on the street in Rogers Park, now faces new charges after allegedly firing two shots at a man exiting his apartment building in the same neighborhood. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in either incident.
The latest shooting incident, captured on a doorbell camera, has led to Varvodic’s detention pending trial, with a judge describing the act as a “volatile, violent act.”
According to prosecutors, the incident took place on February 22 at 2:30 p.m. in the 7000 block of North Wolcott. A 35-year-old man, about to leave his apartment, was confronted by a masked gunman who pointed a handgun at him and fired two rounds, both of which missed the intended target.
After lowering his mask, the gunman was identified by the victim as Erik Varvodic, someone he had known for eight years. Varvodic fled the scene, but the victim’s doorbell camera captured the incident, providing crucial evidence that led to Varvodic’s recent arrest.
Judge Shauna Boliker ordered Varvodic’s detention, stating that the act was clearly intended to cause harm or potentially kill the victim.
A History of Violence
This is not Varvodic’s first brush with such charges. In September 2016, Chicago police officers responding to a gunshot in the 1300 block of West Morse were directed by two 20-year-old women who claimed they had been shot at by Varvodic.
Upon apprehending Varvodic, officers found a handgun on his person, along with bullets and a shell casing in his pocket. Varvodic admitted to shooting at the women, citing their behavior towards him as the reason for his actions. He later asked an officer if it would have been worse if he had fired more than one shot.
Varvodic pleaded guilty to aggravated discharge of a firearm toward an occupied vehicle in that incident, receiving 24 months of probation, which court records indicate he completed in an unsatisfactory manner.
Now, Varvodic faces new charges of aggravated discharge of a firearm toward an occupied building for the recent shooting incident.
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