Shooting at Illinois State Capitol Building, Suspect still at large!

WTAX Radio

[egarvue]

According to local radio station WTAX, there has been a shooting at the Illinois State capitol building in Springfield; a suspect is still at large. Victim's identity and condition is unknown; will post more details when they're available.

[egarvue]

Update (small)

Gun in question is a 12 gauge shotgun, suspect is wearing a blue shirt, jeans, blond hair, white male. There are only 2 entrances open to public in capitol building; metal detectors were in place post 9/11/2001, but have been removed in recent years. No metal detectors were present today. North entrance is main public entrance facing Monroe street.

[eyespysomething]

ping to shooting with perp at large in Springfield IL!!

[null and void]

metal detectors were in place post 9/11/2001, but have been removed in recent years. No metal detectors were present today.

*sigh* words fail me.

[egarvue]

Update

Schools in vincinity of capitol building have been locked down; its dismissal time now, some schools are holding students who walk home, parents are free to pick their students up. Police at at least one school are escorting students home. School locked down are Butler, Lawrence, Graham, Springfield H.S., Douglas, Lee & Southern View. Other schools have voluntarily locked themselves down.

Capitol building employees are allowed to come and go now, but are being required to sign in and out (usual procedure is to just flash ID to guards). Guards at capitol are unarmed.

[spunkets]

"Guards at capitol are unarmed."

See how well that works. IL Ds want everyone to be vulnerable.

[snapperjk]

metal detectors were in place post 9/11/2001, but have been removed in recent years. No metal detectors were present today. *sigh* words fail me. I agree that metal detectors are a necessary thing but what good are they against an assault rifle or shotgun. Like in real estate; Location, Location, Location. Here we have; Range/Kill Factor, Range/Kill Factor, Range/Kill Factor.

[null and void]

Still, no point in making it easy...

[snapperjk]

Has to have something to do with Obama or Keyes.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

If the security guard had been armed, he could have defended himself?!

[ncdrumr]

Prayers for those in my home stete. I hope no one was seriously hurt.

Ditto.

[snapperjk]

If the security guard had been armed, he could have defended himself?! . Hey. Loosen the grip. I said I agree with having a metal detector and to add as much security as practical. Liken this to our well armed forces in Iraq; being shot down by 'ragtags' (literately!).

[egarvue]

Update

Security guard shot at the capitol WAS alive when he was put into the ambulance, condition still unknown, hospital unknown (there's two in town, Memorial Hospital and St. John's, my personal gut feeling is that they went to Memorial Hospital, but once again, that's my opinion.) More schools are letting out now.

[snapperjk]

MSNBC said he was dead. 10 Minutes ago. True or not??

[egarvue]

Unknown; wire services are saying that he's dead, but NO confirmation from local PD or other authorities. Will confirm when I find out more.

[OldSgt.]

Building is orientated , Front to the EAST , back to the WEST, Doors front, back and from south, south doors not at ground level/ open parking lot. don't remember north but believe is same arrangement as south end. How a guy could get to a door with a shotgun would normally surprise people, but the SOS Police guard the place and if you had ever know the SOS police up close, it surprises me the guy wasn't still AT-Large in the Capital.

[egarvue]

Update

County building was locked down for a little while because sherrif's department has just reported that the suspect was headed toward the county building, which is east of the capitol. MAJOR UPDATE AS I TYPE: lots of activity on Spring street, reports that cops are surrounding a house on Spring street. Situation developing rapidly, two separate reports of major police activity, road barricades and the works. Will update when I find out more.

[egarvue]

Agree. But East and West doors were locked post 9/11, only entrances are north and south. South door is not at ground level, opens up to a small parking lot squirreled away betwen capitol and Howlett building to the south. North door is very very close to a driveway that opens up to Monroe St. (major east/west artery), easy for suspect to park car, run up short flight of stairs, get in building, and run down, get in car and flee.

[steamboat]

Never been there myself. Just quoting the AP via Yahoo, but I think the AP has been wrong before, no? LOL

[steamboat]

It's really unthinkable in this day and age, if it is indeed true...

[Americanwolfsbrother]

MSNBC.com is reporting the security guard died at the hospital and the attacker fled in a grey honda civic and still is at large.