Posted on 02/02/2008 7:46:53 PM PST by blam
Gunman kills five women in Chicago store
By Tim Shipman in Chicago
Last Updated: 2:36am GMT 03/02/2008
Five people were shot dead at a women's clothing store in a Chicago suburb on Saturday.
Police evacuated the mall and sealed off the car park after at least five shots were fired
The victims, all women, were killed inside the Lane Bryant store at Brookside Marketplace shopping centre at Tinley Park, south of Chicago.
Police evacuated the mall and sealed off the car park after at least five shots were fired shortly before noon.
It is thought that the shooting occurred after a robbery went wrong and there were reports that the raider had taken some of the victims hostage in the plus-sized clothing store.
Police said that security cameras in the store had allowed them to tentatively identify the man, who is understood to have a history of armed robbery and a murder conviction.
The killer fled the scene after the shooting. A police dogs unit and helicopter were last night working to track down the suspect.
Armed officers also searched neighbouring stores in the area and cars in the parking lot.
Tinley Park Police Sgt TJ Grady said that they were looking for a 5ft 8in tall black man, weighing between 16 and 20 stone and wearing a waist-length black coat, a black knit cap, dark jeans and with braids in his hair.
One victim was was taken to the nearby St James Hospital and Health Care Centres for treatment to gunshot wounds but died later.
Sgt Grady said: "Responding units entered the store and found multiple victims that had been shot and killed.
"No motive has been established. Every store was immediately canvassed and a search by air, too, has given us every indication that the offender has left the scene."
Shoppers said that they were baffled by the motive behind the shooting as it had happened relatively early in the day, about 10.45, while shops would have had quite small amounts of money in their cash registers.
Residents of the predominantly white community of Tinley Park, which describes itself as Chicago's "fastest growing suburb" and has a population of about 58,000, said that they that were shocked by the shooting.
According to FBI crime statistics there was not a single murder in Tinley Park in 2007.
The other violent crime statistics are also low - four sexual assaults, 15 robberies and 38 assaults.
Greg Grace, from nearby Frankfort, who was in the parking lot outside Lane Bryant, said that he saw several stretchers being wheeled into the store. The stretchers were later wheeled out - carrying no wounded survivors.
The mayor, Edward Zabrocki, went to the scene and - looking very shaken - said: "We're very sad about this. We're a victim of our society that we live in."
One witness at the scene described how police officers responded quickly to news of the shootings and hunted the gunman through other stores on the strip mall, with guns drawn and sniffer dogs in tow.
Another witness, Tracy Caccavella, said that she was in a nearby PetSmart store when police burst in with their guns drawn. She said that the officers ordered the store's staff not to let in any more customers before conducting a 20-minute search.
The multiple killing comes a month after nine people died in a shooting at a shopping mall in Omaha, Nebraska.
Nineteen-year-old Robert Hawkins killed eight people, wounded four, then shot himself at the Westroads Mall on December 5 last year.
It was the deadliest shooting in Nebraska since the rampage of Charles Starkweather, who killed 11 people in 1958.
And Mr. Paul, who likewise comes with a bunch of other baggage, chiefly problems with threat identification.
Probably a good bet, if there was one survivor, she was the one that interrupted the robbery and was able to escape. Just guessing.
Does Lane Bryant have a *corporate* “no guns” policy for employees? (as opposed to one by a particular franchisee, although knowing about those would be useful as well)
Shoot first? w/.45 ACP, which both my carry gun and my 1911A1 are chambered for.
But of course they couldn't do that, their Lords and Masters in local government, and likely the store's own policies, kept these women unarmed and defenseless.
You’re right, of course. I keep forgetting Mr. Paul, because to me, he’s pretty much a non-entity. Having said that, however, I know of quite a few Second Amendment Sisters who are firmly in his corner.
"Gangsta n' Thug Home Movie." Extremely offensive, but very important to understand.
Ping to above.
On Saturday, police offered only a vague description of a stocky black man, about 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 230 to 260 pounds, dressed in dark clothing. Why the shooter chose the Lane Bryant store for the robbery is unknown.
“It’s not a place where you would find a lot of cash,’’ a police source said, adding that the man did make off with about $200.
it was alot less then $600 the skumbag stole $200.
Thanks , for the link !:)
One day we’ll have to clean that up.
Thanks
or our kids and grandkids will
and mine will know how at least to defend themselves from us
they know this is danger without being told....even at a young age when they see it
“daddy, are those bad men?”
Yup. Ahem, my supplies will be passed on to my son without government 'paperwork.'
If you wear anything over a large - you can shop at a Lane Bryant. And while I’ve seen some big women in the time that I’ve worked there - most customers are your everyday average woman.
It's also store policy to have more than one employee when a store is opened - but I also know rules are bent because you've gotta make money. I know there are some bats**t crazy people out there who will murder someone over a pair of shoes but five women over $200? It sounds like a hit. An ex-boyfriend? A friend of a disgruntled employee? The average age of employees in our stores is 20-30 and like I said before you can only imagine the kind of drama I've seen these girls drag into work.
I understand those filthy sewer scum very well.
Those were all fine women. Sarah Szafranski was the grand daughter of one of my Ma's friends and a co worker of hers for years. She was the neice of a friend I went to grammar school with, the neice of another brother's friend he went to school with, and the daughter of a freind of my brother went to the same with.
I'd like to go hunting.
“Murder conviction?!!! And he was out on the streets?!!!”
I suspect it happens more often than rational people would like to believe.
For a real life example, see “Early Life” section of one celebrity’s
biography linked below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_King_%28boxing_promoter%29
I’m just so glad you didn’t see that horrific earlier thread that was pulled !
( One freeper who likes beer according to his freeper link )
That freeper made a nasty comment that Lane Bryant customers wore mumu’s etc..
Another freeper posted obese woman pictures :(
I called those freepers out & asked them if they would make those same comments to the victim’s family’s !
I Am so sorry about your friend !
Me too....
Very bad men.
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