Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- One person is dead and two are hospitalized after gunfire erupted in the middle of the night Friday. A total of four people were reported shot on Fir Street. The fourth was treated at the scene and refused transport to the hospital, according to police.
The shooting incident occurred at approximately 3:30 AM, police said. Park Forest Police still had an entire courtyard cordoned off with crime tape after 10 AM.
eNews Park Forest also observed officers who were investigating in Court E-10. That court is immediately across the street from the court where the shooting appeared to originate. There was no crime tape in this area. When we walked up the driveway at the entrance of the court, an officer signaled us to leave, pointing back to Fir Street.
Police stressed that this is an ongoing investigation still in its preliminary stages. The South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force is assisting in the investigation.
One man at the scene, a neighbor who did not wish to be identified, said he heard as many as 30 shots.
Officers from Park Forest were waiting for investigators from Cook County to arrive so the investigation could continue.
About Police Reports
Please note that we repeatedly say “according to police” in these reports and often use “allegedly.” We are not asserting in any way that those police arrested and charged committed any offenses. We report on what is in the reports that the police furnish to us. As those accused are innocent until proven guilty, the burden is on prosecutors and police to prove all alleged crimes.
eNews Park Forest has continuously published the addresses of those arrested and will continue to do so. 5 ILCS 140/2.15 states that the governmental body (for these reports, the Police Department), shall release information on those charged, including their name, age, and address. This information is necessary to ensure the proper identity of those arrested.
Presumption of Innocence
An arrest does not mean that a person is guilty. The law presumes all those whom police arrest are innocent until proven guilty. It is the policy of eNews Park Forest not to remove items from the public record from publication. Suppose you find your name in the police reports. Our policy is that we will only add information relevant to the final disposition of the case at hand, e.g., “Mr. Smith was subsequently acquitted,” “Mr. Smith entered a guilty plea,” or “All charges against Mr. Smith were subsequently dropped.” We will do so upon receiving and verifying proof of such disposition.
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Police captured all the incidents in this report on body-worn and dash-mounted cameras by officers at the respective scenes, according to police. All Park Forest police officers wear body-worn cameras. Officials typically abbreviate these devices as BWC in the reports.
We encourage persons wishing to leave anonymous information on any criminal matters, including narcotics or gang activity, to call the Park Forest Police Department Investigations Division at (708) 748-1309.
