A 22-year-old Hoffman Estates man was held without bail Thursday after authorities said he shot his father to death following a late-morning argument over doing chores around the house and getting a job.

Alec Tarasiuk was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Walter Tarasiuk, 57, who prosecutors said was shot once in the head Wednesday as he played a video game in his bedroom.

During a bond hearing at the Rolling Meadows branch of Cook County Circuit Court Thursday, Judge Steven Goebel said he believed Alec Tarasiuk was a danger to the community, noting that he allegedly shot his father from behind.

Assistant State’s Attorney Lorna Amado-Chevlin said Tarasiuk and his father argued that morning in their residence in the 900 block of Ash Road. The son told investigators that he became upset because his father said he was worthless and not doing anything productive with his life and referred to him with a profanity, she said.

“The defendant was not working or in school and did not like it when his father asked him to do chores in the house or look for a job,” Amado-Chevlin told Goebel.

Hoffman Estates Police Department Alec W. Tarasiuk is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his father, Walter Tarasiuk Alec W. Tarasiuk is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his father, Walter Tarasiuk (Hoffman Estates Police Department)

She said Tarasiuk told police his father went into his own bedroom and began to play a video game, interacting online with other players on an X-Box console while sitting on a love seat. The father began yelling threats at the other online players, she said.

The younger Tarasiuk was in his bedroom and overheard the threats and told police he believed the threats were directed at him, Amado-Chevlin said. Tarasiuk went into the garage and retrieved a loaded handgun his father kept there, entered the father’s bedroom and shot his father in the right cheek area, she said.

Tarasiuk saw blood coming from his father's face, turned off the video game because “it was too loud” and called 911, reporting that he had shot his father, she said. Police recovered the handgun from the younger Tarsiuk and found his father slumped in the love seat with headphones on and a game controller in his lap, she said.

Family members and the victim’s girlfriend declined to comment, but defense attorney William Beattie said the family needed time to process the death.

“It’s a terrible, terrible tragedy for everybody,” Beattie said.

Alec Tarasiuk is a graduate of Conant High School and is a lifelong resident of Hoffman Estates, Beattie said. Tarasiuk had lived with his mother in Arlington Heights until she asked him to leave, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said the younger Tarasiuk has no prior criminal background. His next court appearance is Feb. 1.

The first name of Alec Tarasiuk was misspelled in a previous online version of this story.

George Houde is a freelance reporter.