Attorney Representing Keegan Casteel Releases Statement

CHICAGO - The law firm of Breen & Pugh, located in Chicago, has released a statement announcing themselves as lead counsel in the defense of Keegan Casteel. Mr. Casteel is the 32-year-old Iowa man arrested and charged with Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon in the W Hotel over Independence Day weekend.

The statement appears in full below.

The text of the statement reads as follows:

"On July 6, 2021, shortly after a Fourth of July weekend that included more than
100 people shot in the City of Chicago, the Superintendent of Police took the
opportunity to pivot and highlight the arrest of our client, Keegan Casteel, and
pronounced that his officers had “averted disaster” and “likely prevented a tragedy from happening.” This baseless accusation against Mr. Casteel spurred sensational media coverage, despite the dearth of evidence that our client had any ill intent."

"Mr. Casteel did have a plan for the Fourth of July – to travel to the City of Chicago to propose to his girlfriend on the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier that evening. In fact, when police responded to Mr. Casteel’s hotel room, he was getting ready for the engagement proposal and had a diamond ring hidden in the hotel room. After a tactical team from the Chicago Police Department knocked on the door and arrested Mr. Casteel, he was thoroughly cooperative with all the police officers and federal agents that he encountered."

"Mr. Casteel is an Iowa resident where he holds a valid permit and license to possess firearms, issued by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. We have provided Mr. Casteel’s concealed carry license and proof of lawful purchase of both firearms recovered from his hotel room to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, who have announced they plan to seek a felony indictment against Mr. Casteel. Under the Illinois Firearm Owners Identification Act, the firearm prohibition contained in the FOID Act does not apply to “nonresidents who are currently licensed or registered to possess a firearm in their resident state.” 430 ILCS 65/2(b)(10)."

"While the Superintendent and other public officials have made Mr. Casteel a
scapegoat in the face of widespread violence and actual shootings in the City of
Chicago, he is nothing more than a law-abiding person exercising his Second
Amendment Rights. The fact that good people feel the need to arm themselves when
traveling to Chicago is the real problem that our public officials need to address."

"In Mr. Casteel’s case, there was nothing nefarious afoot. In fact, after being released from custody, Mr. Casteel did what he came to Chicago to do, he dropped to one knee outside the 18th District police station with the diamond that had been inventoried by the Chicago Police Department and proposed to the love of his life. We look forward to defending Mr. Casteel in a court of law."