The tips have slowed, but two dozen investigators in Will County and northwest Indiana continue to doggedly hunt for a killer.
Police have a vivid description of the gunman who killed 45-year-old Rolando Alonso on Oct. 5 and severely wounded two other men in two attacks 45 minutes apart.
Investigators also have three witnesses to help identify the burly gunman.
But the mistaken arrest of Lynwood Police Officer Brian Dorian on Oct. 8 sidetracked the investigation. He was charged with murdering Alonso, but then freed five days later after Will County authorities admitted they had arrested the wrong man.
Since then, despite sorting through hundreds of tips, authorities in Indiana and Illinois have little progress to show for their efforts.
"We're getting a few calls, but for the most part, things have quieted down," said Lessie Smith, deputy chief of the Lake County, Ind., sheriff's department.
The first shooting occurred about 10:30 a.m. as Alonso and two co-workers repaired a house near Beecher in rural Will County.
After pulling up in a 1990's-model light blue Chevrolet pickup truck, the gunman talked about honeybees and construction supplies, then pulled a revolver and began firing.
Alonso died of a gunshot wound in the head, while a co-worker, 19-year-old Joshua Garza, also suffered a head wound, but survived. He remains hospitalized, authorities said. Another co-worker escaped uninjured. He later provided police with a description of the gunman.
Police barely had time to react before another shooting about 45 minutes later near Lowell, Ind.
Farmer Keith Dahl was shot by a burly, ball-cap-wearing man in a pickup truck who stopped to chat before opening fire. Dahl, 63, was released from the hospital last week to continue recovering at his home, officials said.
Despite the descriptions, investigators haven't identified any potential suspects.
"There's nobody of interest yet," said Pat Barry, a spokesman for Will County Sheriff Paul Kaupas.
