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Five shot dead at suburban Chicago store


manderlyh

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5 shot dead at suburban Chicago store

By MICHAEL TARM - Associated Press Writer

Edition Date: 02/02/08

TINLEY PARK, Ill. — A gunman fatally shot five women in a robbery at a store in a suburban Chicago strip mall and fled Saturday, prompting police to sweep through neighboring shops as terrified customers watched.The victims were killed at a Lane Bryant clothing store at the Brookside Marketplace, police Sgt. T.J. Grady said. Officers found the victims at the back of the store after getting a 911 call around 10:45 a.m., Grady said.

Grady said robbery was believed to be the motive. Police searched for the gunman using dogs and a helicopter equipped with infrared sensors but concluded he left the stores off Interstate 80 southwest of downtown Chicago.

In a Target store across the parking lot from Lane Bryant, terrified customers were herded to the front as police with pistols and rifles drawn went up and down the aisles and into storerooms searching for the gunman.

"I was so scared I couldn't think," said Selena Kujawa, who had just entered the store with her 5-year-old son when it was locked down. After about an hour, customers were told to leave.

"They told us to get in our cars and get out of here," Kujawa said.

Meanwhile, the Chicago police department warned its officers to pay attention to strip malls and other Lane Bryant stores, police spokeswoman Monique Bond said.

Grady said police are downloading video from cameras mounted at nearby stores.

The Lane Bryant was open at the time of the shootings. Grady declined to say whether the victims were customers or employees. He gave no ages and said authorities are still trying to reach the victims' families.

Police were allowing some shoppers into parts of the strip mall later Saturday, but had cordoned off the store.

Tracy Caccavella was shopping at a Pet Smart store late Saturday morning across the parking lot from the Lane Bryant when she saw police enter the pet supply store.

"Six police entered the store with their hands on their gun holsters," Caccavella said.

The small red and brown brick Lane Bryant is part of a cluster of four or five stores isolated on one side of a large blacktop parking lot, with big box stores including Target and a Best Buy several hundred yards away.

Two large county vans backed up to the front of the building Saturday afternoon and a white canopy was placed over the front of the building.

Messages left at Lane Bryant Brand headquarters were not immediately returned.

Lane Bryant is part of plus-size women's apparel retailer Charming Shoppes Inc., based in Bensalem, Pa., which also owns the Fashion Bug and Catherines brands.

Edited by manderlyh
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It's kinda of wierd, that i could see the back of these stores from where i sit now, and the first time i notice anything was reading it on the Led Zeppelin forum at 8:30. My buddy, whose house im at didn't notice either. This store has only been open for a year. It's only a few hunderd yards from the biggest outdoor concert venue in chicago and next to a very cheap golf course. Within 10 min driving time he could be anywhere, it's very wide open.

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Well that fucking sucks :|

Not like violent robberies are a new thing though, just same old humans twisted by greed.

Violent robbery?

Why the hell would you rob a womens plus size clothing store anyway??

Killing 5 women is a bit more than robbery.

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Violent robbery?

Why the hell would you rob a womens plus size clothing store anyway??

Killing 5 women is a bit more than robbery.

Sick twisted murder, whatever you want to call it, this shit isn't new to the world. It IS still terrible though, I really hope the women's family's are all right.

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Sick twisted murder, whatever you want to call it, this shit isn't new to the world. It IS still terrible though, I really hope the women's family's are all right.

I know it's not new, just becoming to commonplace for comfort.

Please don't think I'm pissed at you, I'm just fed up with these cowardly acts.

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By and large, the source of all this madness is poor parenting... To be a parent one should have to undergo a series of psychological, intelligence, etc. tests so as to prove one is worthy of taking on the responsibility of being a parent. Of course, as with anything, there will always be aberrations, and some bad seeds will slip through the system, but, on the whole, testing for the privilege of being a parent would work...

At the very least one should have to have above average intelligence to procreate.

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Who's going to lead us out of the woods with gun violence????

The people at large must do this. Criminals should be punished. Governments should not keep the people from having the means to defend themselves. Only Illinois and Wisconsin outright deny the people the ability to carry a concealed weapon (CCW). In the large portion of the country where the people have access to the means to defend themselves, those who choose to blame guns for ill must instead embrace and respect the tool, and be prepared to use it for good. It is the evil people that perpetrate events such as that shooting; therefore, it is up to better people to do what they can to keep this from occurring. Many people do this already; however, it will hardly ever be at the mainstream media forefront, for such is the nature of modern America. Only through equalization of the power in that weapon can unfortunate incidents such as the shooting at that store and like threats perhaps be neutralized.

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It's kinda of wierd, that i could see the back of these stores from where i sit now, and the first time i notice anything was reading it on the Led Zeppelin forum at 8:30. My buddy, whose house im at didn't notice either. This store has only been open for a year. It's only a few hunderd yards from the biggest outdoor concert venue in chicago and next to a very cheap golf course. Within 10 min driving time he could be anywhere, it's very wide open.

Pb, you must be kind of close to where I am, then. I only heard about it on the forum too, until I read the papers this morning. I pass those stores on I-80 all the time.

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Pb, you must be kind of close to where I am, then. I only heard about it on the forum too, until I read the papers this morning. I pass those stores on I-80 all the time.

I remember seeing the story on the news, but it said "Chicago", so i just figured it was a normal shooting in chicago. Then i found out it was in Tinley Park.

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The people at large must do this. Criminals should be punished. Governments should not keep the people from having the means to defend themselves. Only Illinois and Wisconsin outright deny the people the ability to carry a concealed weapon (CCW). In the large portion of the country where the people have access to the means to defend themselves, those who choose to blame guns for ill must instead embrace and respect the tool, and be prepared to use it for good. It is the evil people that perpetrate events such as that shooting; therefore, it is up to better people to do what they can to keep this from occurring. Many people do this already; however, it will hardly ever be at the mainstream media forefront, for such is the nature of modern America. Only through equalization of the power in that weapon can unfortunate incidents such as the shooting at that store and like threats perhaps be neutralized.

So we should all go strapped up.

No thanks, if that's what it comes to, I will be gone before one of you does it by accident.

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So we should all go strapped up.

No thanks, if that's what it comes to, I will be gone before one of you does it by accident.

For those who live where it can be done and meet the legal requirements, that's their choice to make. As for myself, I live where it cannot be done, and I have had to live on a certain edge, being extremely cautious, without personal protection, knowing full well that some fruitcake could potentially try anything like that anywhere. Of course, I wouldn't do anything by accident, since I've been certified in firearms safety for over 15 years. Thanks for your vote of confidence.

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For those who live where it can be done and meet the legal requirements, that's their choice to make. As for myself, I live where it cannot be done, and I have had to live on a certain edge, being extremely cautious, without personal protection, knowing full well that some fruitcake could potentially try anything like that anywhere. Of course, I wouldn't do anything by accident, since I've been certified in firearms safety for over 15 years. Thanks for your vote of confidence.

I wasn't singling you out necessarily, but you did make it sound as if you thought that the only way to level the playing field was if everybody had a CW. I will respect your training, but I also realize that such an "equalized" society would have varying degrees of said training, and icewater will not suddenly flow into the veins of even the most skilled CH holder when confronted with sudden public attack.

Sounds damn dangerous.

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The people at large must do this. Criminals should be punished. Governments should not keep the people from having the means to defend themselves. Only Illinois and Wisconsin outright deny the people the ability to carry a concealed weapon (CCW).

I live in California, and while it is 'possible' to get a permit to carry a gun, the legislature and the local governments have made it nearly impossible for private citizens to carry a gun. You either have to work in jewerly store or be a private detective to get a concealed carry permit. Some local cities have even gone so far as to outlaw the sale of ammunition within their jurisdictions. And the damn police go along with this crap with the beleif that they alone should carry guns.

As a result I am forced to carry a gun illegally on many occasions. But I have done so for over 20 years without incident.

.

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Damn Del...where are you hanging out? Hopefully you haven't even had to pull it in that time.

I had been held up at gunpoint several times on the job I used to have. One time this drugged out looking nervous guy kept poking me in the back with the barrel of his pistol as I attempted to open a safe. After that (and because of several prior occasions including being shot at) I started carrying a concealed handgun despite not having a permit or permission from my company. After that I was only held up one more time, but the guy was so calm and collective, and I was confident that all he wanted was money, that I elected to just give him the cash without drawing my gun. Why get into a gunfight just to be a Rambo?

Since then I once had three gang members approach me in a parking lot in what I suspected was going to be a hold up. However, just as soon as they saw that I was not only not afraid, but also taking a stance that one might assume was preparing for some sort of 'action'.... I didn't even need to draw my gun. They just headed the other way really quick. I guess some people look at me and think I might be a cop or something because I always have this pissed of middle aged white guy 'go ahead and make my day' sort of look about me. :lol:

So I guess for me, just knowing that I have that option at least puts me in a frame of mind to know that I am prepared. But I also have to admit that I don't generally put myself into situations -- or in areas of town, where I am more likely to find trouble. And I know many other people who live in Southern California who do the same thing. If the statistics could ever be published as to how many people are carrying guns illegally who are not criminals, and which go without incident. Then I wonder if the anti-gun people would reconcider allowing more good citizens to be armed. As it is we hear of people protecting themselves against criminals all the time with guns and nobody seems too alarmed by that fact.

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