Mysterious Gunfire Sends Bullet into Dominican Building

Correction: University officials say the incident took place early Sunday, not Saturday as Patch originally reported, and that the bullet was discovered in an office, not a classroom. 

Police in River Forest are investigating gunfire near that sent a bullet into a campus office over the weekend.

The gunshots were first reported by campus security at 5:10 a.m. Sunday, River Forest Deputy Chief Craig Rutz said. Recovered on nearby Thatcher Avenue were six spent shell casings from a 9-mm weapon.

Rutz said police are exploring several scenarios. One is that the shots were fired into the air, and one of the bullets drifted toward a fourth-floor office at Parmer Hall, where it pierced a window and landed “fairly intact” on the floor inside.

Someone could also have fired at the building itself, or at trees. Or, Rutz said, people could have been shooting at each other.

Authorities also are checking nearby hospitals to see if anyone was treated for a gunshot wound. Police in River Forest are also calling other local law enforcement agencies to drum up leads.

Early Sunday morning, someone on the security desk called police about hearing gunshots. Police responded then left, only to be called back after campus security reported finding a bullet hole in a window in Parmer. That's when investigators discovered the other shell casings.

An e-mail about the incident went out campus-wide Monday and was posted on the university website, Jessica Mackinnon, the university’s director of public information, said. The message read:

"River Forest police reported gunshots at 5:10 a.m. Sunday morning, February 26, 2012. Campus Security subsequently detected a bullet hole in a window on the fourth floor of Parmer Hall. Police are investigating the incident and believe that the shot came from Thatcher Avenue and was a random act. Police believe that there is no threat to the Dominican community at this time and campus activities are continuing as scheduled."

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact Campus Security at (708) 524-5999.