Feb 3, 2008 10:18 pm US/Central
Witnesses Aid In Tinley Park Gunman Case
Law Enforcement Source Tells CBS 2 A Survivor Of The Shooting Is Helping Investigators
TINLEY PARK, Ill. (CBS) ―
The search continues for the gunman who shot and killed five women during a robbery at a Tinley Park clothing store, then disappeared after walking out the front door. But Sunday night, police say a sixth woman was hurt. While she is expected to recover, she is already working with officers searching for the gunman.
Tinley Park Police Sgt. T.J. Grady also says a second witness has come forward with a description of the suspect's vehicle. While more details will be released Monday morning, Grady did say the car is red, which will allow police to better analyze surveillance video, and perhaps enhance a license plate.
While progress continues in the case, a number of crosses sit near the store in recognition of the women killed at the Lane Bryant store in the Brookside Marketplace Shopping Center. The staff of other stores and area residents left flowers at the scene.
"Anytime a tragedy happens, they say it shouldn't happen here – it just touched me, because five people were at work or trying to shop," said Tinley Park resident Kim Schaafsma.
The investigation continues Sunday, but other stores in the strip mall were open. A day after the incident, there is still no word on exactly how the gunman got away unnoticed.
Police are reviewing surveillance videos from several stores at the strip mall, but unfortunately the Lane Bryant store where the women were killed did not have any cameras.
Sunday afternoon, authorities identified the victims in a press conference as: Connie R. Woolfolk, 37, of Flossmoor; Sarah T. Szafranski, 22, of Oak Forest; Carrie H. Chiuso, 33, of Frankfort; store manager Rhoda McFarland, 42, of Joliet; and Jennifer L. Bishop, 34, of South Bend, Ind.
Bishop was a nurse at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Ind. Nursing supervisor Nancy Pemberton called Bishop, "An exceptional human being and a wonderful nurse and a wonderful mother."
"I was devastated to tell you the truth, just couldn't believe it was actually her," said Wyndy Berndsen, a friend of Bishop's.
"All little girls need their mom," said Sarah Paturalsky, another friend of Bishop. "Unfortunately he took that from them, she was wonderful and everything to them and he took that."
McFarland's best friend Sandra McGhee of Joliet said McFarland worked for two years as the Lane Bryant store manager. McGhee said McFarland was an ordained minister and worked closely with young girls at her church.
Woolfolk, a mother of two boys, worked as a real estate broker. "She was just a loving person who would help anybody," her father Melvin Woolfolk said. "She was a lovely person." Her niece remembers her as a fun energetic woman who pushed her to excel in school.
"She took me to Millennium Park downtown, a couple of places we had fun," said Danielle Woolfolk.
Szafranski's family said in a statement that they are in shock and their emotions are raw. According to a Web site that appears to be her Facebook page, she was a 2007 graduate of Northern Illinois University and worked as a paralegal.
Szafranski's family released a statement saying, "we ask that you keep Sarah and the other women who were killed in your prayers…Sarah was loved by all who knew her and we are counting on that love to sustain us while we mourn."
Tinley Park Police Chief Mike O'Connell offered little information Sunday afternoon about the investigation. "We are addressing as many witnesses, that's all the comment I'm going to make on it," said O'Connell.
But by Sunday night, police confirmed they are working off of leads generated by the one woman who survived with minor injuries and by a witness. They are also using surveillance video.
"We're asking anyone who may have seen anything in or around the plaza yesterday between 10 and 11, we ask that they call the Tinley Park police department," O'Connell said.
There was a report of a possible suspect in Michigan on Sunday, but it is not credible.
Tinley Park residents say they wish police could say more.
"We were hoping there would be more info to help us help our city. As time unfolds, that will unfold as well," said Tinley Park resident Janelle Witry.
The Will County coroner's office said all five died from gunshot wounds.
Lane Bryant's parent company, Bensalem, Pa.-based Charming Shoppes Inc. issued a statement Sunday regarding the incident: "The employees of Charming Shoppes, Inc. and Lane Bryant are deeply saddened by the loss of life resulting from this horrific event. We grieve for the innocent victims and our primary concern at this time is for the families and loved ones of those fatally injured."
In mourning of lives lost, the Company's Lane Bryant greater-Chicago area stores will be closed for business on Sunday and said it was offering a $50,000 reward for information that could lead investigators to the gunman. Will County Crime Stoppers were also offering a $5,000 reward.
The shooting happened just before 11 a.m. A gunman took the five women into a back room at the Lane Bryant store and shot and killed all of them before fleeing.
Grady said, "The motive in this case was a robbery ... at some point it went rather poorly."
Police launched a manhunt as soon as they arrived at the scene, going from store to store finding only shoppers who were confused and in panic.
O'Connell said a bystander told officers that he had seen a stocky black man, about 5-foot-9, who was wearing a black winter coat, a knit cap and dark pants.
"We are very comfortable that the offender is out of the area. We had an immediate search of the area immediately after the incident was reported. We had an officer respond within a minute," O'Connell said Saturday.
Attempts to find him with dogs and a helicopter equipped with infrared sensors also failed, authorities said.
Chiuso's family members said she was a teen counselor and a 1993 graduate of Homewood Flossmoor High School.
"Carrie was deeply loved by faculty and staff," said school spokesman Dave Thieman in a statement. "She had a real touch with students. The entire H-F family is deeply saddened."
After Tony Chiuso saw his wife's car in news reports, he left their Frankfort home for the Tinley Park police station. The tragic news was confirmed. "He's not doing too good,'' said his father, also named Tony.
The Frankfort woman's family "is brokenhearted,'' said her sister-in-law, Jennifer Hudek.
Several stores were put on lockdown just minutes after the shooting.
Lupe Olmos was shopping at the Brookside Marketplace Shopping Center when it happened. "I'm in the dressing room and then somebody gets a call in the dressing room that she reports that she's the wife of a manager that there's a shooter on the loose and that the store is getting locked down. And at that I'm thinking 'Holy cow. I'm gonna stay put, I'm not gonna move anywhere. Everybody's in a panic,'" Olmos said.
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.
Police began allowing some shoppers into parts of the strip mall later Saturday, but had cordoned off the Lane Bryant store, which remained closed on Sunday.
Mayor Edward Zabrocki said that after the shooting, Tinley Park sent extra police patrols into the residential neighborhoods nearby.
"We're very sad about it," a clearly shaken Zabrocki said from the scene. "... We're a victim of our society that we live in."
The Tinley Park mayor announced flags here will be lowered to half staff, for five days.
CBS 2's Katie McCall, Rafael Romo, Pamela Jones, WBBM 780 Newsradio, the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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