Prognosis Positive for Lemont Native Willie Hayes After Bar Attack

UPDATE: Willie Hayes was discharged as of Monday morning and is recovering at home, according to a spokesperson for Edward Hospital.

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The prognosis is positive, but the road to recovery is just beginning for Lemont native Willie Hayes, who was stabbed Saturday in a Naperville bar attack.

Hayes, a senior at , was listed in fair condition Sunday afternoon in Edward Hospital's intensive care unit, according to a nurse on duty.

Early Saturday morning, Hayes and two others were stabbed during a fight at  in downtown Naperville. His friend, 24-year-old elementary school teacher Shaun Wild, was killed, while bar bouncer Raphael Castaneda sustained injuries to his arm.

Following the attack, Naperville police quickly arrested Daniel J. Olaska, 27, of the 1500 block of Fox Hill Drive in Naperville. He was charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder, authorities said.

Olaska appeared in DuPage County Court for a bond hearing Sunday via closed-circuit television. Deeming Olaska "a danger to the community," the judge set bond at $3 million.

Hayes is a defensive end for the North Central football team, and is studying physical education. He graduated in 2008 from , where he was a standout football and baseball player.

A native of Brown Deer, WI, Wild graduated from North Central College in 2011. He was a punter on the football team and attended the college for three years, said Clark Teuscher, director of sports information at North Central College. Wild was working as a second-grade teacher at  in Naperville.

North Central released a statement Sunday afternoon on behalf of Bill and Kim Hayes, Willie's parents.

"We are devastated by the Wild family's loss and wish to express our deepest sympathies," they said. "We are grateful to the North Central College family for their continuing support of Willie during his recovery. As our son recovers, we ask you to respect our privacy and the privacy of his coaches, friends and teammates. Willie's prognosis remains positive and we hope to have him home soon."

During Sunday's bond hearing, DuPage County Special Prosecutor Tim Diamond detailed some of the events of the evening that led to the stabbing.

Diamond said the men did not know each other, but that at one point Willie Hayes was sitting at a table with Olaska when Hayes said something about Olaska drinking beer out of a wine glass.

“He joked with him and Mr. Olaska took offense,” Diamond said. At that point, the men stood up and Olaska took out a folding knife with a 5-to-6-inch blade. He stabbed Wild in the arm and Hayes in the chest.

“Wild went after him and he stabbed Wild in the chest,” Diamond said.

The bouncers attempted to get Olaska under control, but Castaneda was stabbed in the arm. 

More than 100 people were in the bar and witnessed the incident, Diamond said.

The entire incident was caught on security video, which shows Olaska stabbing the victims, he added. 

In a press conference following the bond hearing, DuPage County State's Attorney Robert B. Berlin and Naperville Police Chief David Dial called the bar attack "an utterly senseless act of violence."

"There is simply no way to make any sense of this," Dial said. "It's a tragic loss for the entire Naperville community. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims at this time, but there is simply no way to explain what happened."

Olaska’s next court date is scheduled for March 5 before Judge Kathryn Creswell.

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