SHOREWOOD, Ill. – A shooting damaged Illinois State Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel’s home in Shorewood, though police say the incident was not politically motivated.
What we know:
Around 4:50 a.m. Tuesday, Shorewood police said officers responded to the sound of gunfire near Ca-Crest Drive and Highland Drive. Officers searched the area but did not find any people or damage. Police received one phone call about the incident, but the caller could not provide any additional information.
At 6:50 a.m., police were called to the 500 block of Bethany Drive, where a home had been hit three times by gunfire. No one inside was injured.
As officers were investigating the scene, the police department received a call from a resident in the 500 block of Northgate Lane who said that before 5 a.m., someone in their house had heard a loud noise. Several hours later, the homeowners discovered damage caused by a single gunshot. Officers responded to the home and recovered evidence.
Police said evidence from both homes suggested the same firearm was used. They also noted the owners of both homes are not known to each other.
With the help of neighborhood surveillance video, investigators identified a vehicle and suspect, and the suspect was taken into custody Tuesday morning.
What they’re saying:
Cappel, in a statement on Facebook, confirmed one of the homes shot was hers.
Meg Loughran Cappel | Facebook
“In the early hours of Tuesday morning, my family and I experienced a deeply troubling incident when a shot was fired directly at our home,” Cappel said. “My family and I are safe and I’m thankful that no one was hurt… Violence is never the answer.”
Big picture view:
The shooting comes nearly a week after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated on the Utah Valley University campus and months after Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman was killed at her home in Brooklyn Park. Those high-profile incidents have sparked wider debate about political violence, though Shorewood police determined Cappel’s case was not politically motivated.
The investigation remains ongoing.
The Source: The information in this story came from the Shorewood Police Department and Illinois State Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel.