Suburban Romeoville officials are searching for suspects after a woman and her 15-year-old daughter were shot in an SUV Thursday morning as they were leaving for school.
It happened on the 300 block of Emery Avenue, and prompted a two-hour lockdown at schools in the immediate area.
"It was point blank. They were in the car and he shot through passenger side, first the daughter then the mother. Then he fled," Romeoville Police Cheif Mark Turvey said.
Police say the 15-year-old girl was shot in the head and her 33-year-old mother was shot in the neck.
Both victims were rushed to a Bolingbrook hospital and later transported to Loyola Hospital. Their conditions were not released.
Neighbors Brian Corban heard the gun shots and ran outside in time to see the mother get out of the SUV.
"She was bleeding around the chest and neck," Corban said. "We went around to other side and tried to get the daughter up. She wasn't looking good."
The shooter, described as a short male, was last seen running west along 135th Street.
Four persons of interest were detained after the shooting and were being questioned by police, but two were released. No charges have been filed in the case.
Students who attend Irene King Elementary, Vito Martinez Middle and Romeoville High were initially told to go to school despite the lockdown. District officials later advised students who hadn't yet reported to school to stay home.
Some students who were en route to class were relocated to the Romeoville Recreational Center or held on school buses during the lockdown. Those students were taken to their respective schools once the lockdown was lifted.
Joliet Junior College students were also told to avoid the Romeoville campus because of the shooting.
Anyone with information related to the crime is asked to contact the Romeoville Police Department at 815-886-7219 or an anonymous tip line at 815-328-5205.
