'Life of the Party' Ill. Man Was Fatally Shot in Fight Over Pizza and Bar Tab, Says Prosecutor: 'Senseless'

The suspect, identified as 49-year-old Michael Freund, has been charged with first-degree murder, authorities said

A beloved Illinois man described by his longtime friend as "the life of the party" was fatally shot on Friday during a dispute over a pizza and bar tab.

Dexter Perkins was visiting Rosie O’Reilly’s in Wheaton when he got into an altercation with Michael Freund and two other men. At around 8:40 a.m. that morning, DuPage County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a call of shots fired at the bar, according to a news release from the County of DuPage.

When the officers arrived at the location on Bromley Lane, they discovered Perkins, the victim, deceased. An investigation into the shooting found that a fight allegedly arose over pizza and the bar tab between Perkins, Freund and the other two unidentified men, the release said.

A brief scuffle allegedly occurred on the outside front porch of the bar between Perkins and one of the unidentified men, prompting Freund, 49, to allegedly pull out a 9-mm Glock handgun from his jacket pocket and fire two "warning shots" into the air, the release said.

Perkins then allegedly "approached the other man at which time Freund, who was standing on the other side of a wooden railing, fired at him, striking him in the torso and in the face," the release said.

After the shooting, Freund allegedly placed the handgun, which "had been fired a total of 11 times," in the center console of his truck, where it was later uncovered by law enforcement, according to the release. Freund was taken into custody at Rosie O'Reilly's without incident.

During a court appearance on Saturday, Freund, an Aurora resident, was charged with first-degree murder, and the presiding judge also granted the State's motion to deny a pre-trial release for Freund.

Freund’s next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 18, 2024, when he will be arraigned. It's not immediately clear if he has retained an attorney.

According to the release, Perkins did not know Freund or the other men involved in the bar incident.

DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin called Perkins' death a "senseless act of violence."

“Yesterday morning, Dexter Perkins lost his life allegedly over a dispute regarding pizza and a bar tab,” Berlin said in a statement.

“For this senseless act of violence that resulted in the death of an innocent man, Mr. Freund now finds himself facing first-degree murder charges," Berlin continued. "I offer my sincere condolences to Dexter’s family and friends and wish them strength as they are now forced to continue their lives without the love and friendship they enjoyed with Dexter."

DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick also released a statement on Perkins' killing. “It’s horrible to see this type of violence occur during the holiday season,” he said. “I want to commend the deputies and State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his staff for their work to ensure that this person will be brought to justice for this crime."

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On a GoFundMe page established in Perkins' honor by his close friend David Killingsworth, the father of two was remembered as "one of those people you meet and never forget."

"Dexter was the reason a lot of us know each other, the 'glue' to our group of friends. I have been lucky enough to call Dexter my friend for over 20 years," Killingsworth wrote. "I’m sure anyone who knows Dexter will agree we were all truly blessed to call him our friend, and the amount of lives he touched is insurmountable. He was always the life of the party and often times the reason we were celebrating."

Killingsworth said he created the fundraising campaign "in support of the family [Perkins] leaves behind, his two beautiful girls."

"I want Dexter’s family to know how important he was to all of us and how much we’re going to miss him," he explained in his message. "This is truly a huge loss that a lot of people are going to feel, I hope we can all come together in support and celebration of Dexter’s life for his family."

Killingsworth also echoed Berlin's comment, lamenting that his friend's "life was cut short in a senseless act of violence."

"The family he’s left behind has been shaken to their core. We’ve put this fund together to help with any expenses they may be faced with as we know there was no way to prepare for this," Killingsworth concluded.

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