The NYTimes decided to leave out 'black male' in the description of the gunman .
From the local Channel 7 write-up:
Police are still working a composite of the suspect. The description they have released is that of a black male, 5 feet 9 inches tall, 230 to 260 lbs. and wearing a black waist-length jacket, a black cap, and dark jeans.
The NYTimes description is exactly the same except that this one critical piece is left out, one that helps to more clearly define and narrow the possible suspects in the search. As there is a significant reward offered, this information would be extremely helpful to the public as they keep an eye out.
Heavily armed officers combed the area and helicopters flew as weather permitted in a furious search on Sunday for the killer. He is described as being about 5-foot-9, weighing 260 pounds, with braided hair, a knit cap and a waist-length black jacket.
Local Channel 7 write-up:
By Michelle GallardoTINLEY PARK, Ill. -- A $55,000 reward has been offered for the capture of the gunman who killed five women at a Tinley Park clothing store.
One victim of Saturday's shooting was a store employee, and the other four were customers.
Police say the murders were part of a botched robbery.
Police were still limiting access Sunday to the area immediately surrounding the Lane Bryant store near 191st Street and Harlem Avenue in Tinley Park. The other stores in the area reopened Sunday.
There was a steady stream of people coming by the scene of the crime to pay their respects.
Investigators continued to canvas the area surrounding the store Sunday searching for evidence that could help them in their search for the gunman who killed five women Saturday morning. But, at a press conference Sunday afternoon, police refused to comment on any evidence found and on any witness accounts.
"This is an extremely sensitive investigation. We need to keep as much information confidential [as possible]," said Chief Mike O'Connell of the Tinley Park police.
Police did, however, release the names of all five victims: Connie R. Woolfolk, 37, of Flossmoor; Sarah T. Szafranski, 22, of Oak Forest; Carrie H. Chiuso, 33, of Frankfort; Rhoda McFarland, 42, of Joliet; and Jennifer L. Bishop, 34, of South Bend, Ind.
Rhoda McFarland was the store's manager.
"She didn't treat us like she was above us. We always had laughs. If you had a bad day, she would say, 'Ok, we've got to go talk," said former Randi Rexford. "She is a great person."
Rexford also said that little money was kept at Lane Bryant. So, trying to rob it, as it appears was the case, was pointless.
"There was a locked safe in the office," Rexford said. "There was not much on hand at all. Everyday it was deposited, every morning."
The murders have reverberated throughout the entire area. Several people, some complete strangers, came Sunday to lay flowers and crosses near the store. Although police wre limited access, they allowed some of the mourners through to pay their respects.
"It could have been any of us. It could have been my mom, my sister, me. It's just a horrible thing. Anytime there is a tragedy people say they thought it would never happen here, but it just touched me because five people were at work, or were just trying to shop, " said Kim Schaafsma.
Police are still working a composite of the suspect. The description they have released is that of a black male, 5 feet 9 inches tall, 230 to 260 lbs. and wearing a black waist-length jacket, a black cap, and dark jeans.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Tinley Park police at 708-444-5368 and Cook County Crimestoppers at 1-800-535-STOP.
The company that owns Lane Bryant is also in mourning for those who died Saturday. They closed their Chicago-area stores for the day and issued a statement saying: "We grieve for the innocent victims, and our primary concern is for the families and loved ones of those fatally injured." (To view a complete statement posted on the retailer's Web site, click here).
NYTimes article:
One Survivor in Shooting at Illinois Mall
TINLEY PARK, Ill. — The police confirmed Sunday that one woman survived an apparent robbery gone wrong at a suburban Chicago shopping center that left five others dead.
At a news conference on Sunday the police released few new details about the investigation, other than to identify the victims and to say that autopsies showed they died of gunshot wounds. The police did not disclose how many wounds each suffered, or what caliber of weapon was used.
Heavily armed officers combed the area and helicopters flew as weather permitted in a furious search on Sunday for the killer. He is described as being about 5-foot-9, weighing 260 pounds, with braided hair, a knit cap and a waist-length black jacket.
The police received a 911 call at 10:44 a.m. on Saturday summoning them to a Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park, about 30 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. They found the women, four customers and the store manager, dead in a back room of the store, which had no video cameras.
The family of one victim, Sarah T. Szafranski, a 22-year-old Oak Forest resident, said in a statement: “Our emotions are raw and we are still in shock. There is nothing adequate anyone can say at a time like this.”
The family of another victim, Rhoda McFarland, 42, the store manager, described her as a sweet person who valued work and counseled others through her church.
“She never said no to anybody,” said her father, Hilton Hamilton. He added, “A person who goes to work every day and tries to help out with people, it’s not supposed to end up like this.”
He also said she was engaged.
In addition to Ms. Szafranski and Ms. McFarland, those killed were Connie R. Woolfolk, a 37-year-old from suburban Flossmoor; Carrie A. Chiuso, of Frankfort, a 33-year-old social worker for a local school district; and Jennifer L. Bishop, a 34-year-old from South Bend, Ind.
Initially, the police had said there were five victims in the shooting, but WBBM, a Chicago radio station, reported Sunday that another woman was treated and released from St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields, about 10 miles from the scene of the shooting. Reached by phone later Sunday, a spokeswoman for the hospital confirmed that a victim from the shooting was brought there. A police source later confirmed the report, and said the woman survived and had been released from the hospital.
In front of the store, five white crosses were planted and bright bouquets of flowers stood in front of them, sprouting out of the snow.
The mayor of Tinley Park, Edward Zabrocki , said: “The problem we have experienced here in Tinley Park is not just Tinley Park, but it’s the entire region. Sadly, this is a commentary on our society, that no community is immune to what can happen.”
Charming Shoppes, the parent company of Lane Bryant, released a statement, saying, “The employees of Charming Shoppes Inc. and Lane Bryant are deeply saddened by the loss of life resulting from this horrific event.” The company also offered a $50,000 reward.
The Lane Bryant where the shootings happened was closed Sunday, but adjacent stores in the shopping center had reopened.
Lindy Strodel, 47, was getting her nails done at Cici Nails on Sunday. Like many in the area, Ms. Strodel questioned whether the motive of the shooting was robbery, noting that Lane Bryant, which sells plus-size women’s clothes, would not have had much cash on hand so early in the morning.
“You have to wonder, is there another connection there?” she said.
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