‘Angers our community': Officials speak out after 75-year-old woman shot in bedroom
DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — Danville Police are investigating after 20 shots were fired into a home and a 75-year-old woman was getting ready for bed when she was hit.
It happened on Moore Street near E Fairchild Street Monday night.
READ MORE: Elderly woman shot in her bedroom; Danville Police looking for tips
Danville police said it looks like she's going to be okay. Officers have talked with her since she's been in the hospital, and said there's a good chance she gets out soon. But, they're still baffled and frustrated about what happened.
'Because of the age of the victim, you know, it angers you. It angers everybody. And I think it really angers our community.' said Danville Police Deputy Chief Terry McCord.
Danville Police said officers were responding to another call on the east side of Danville.
'And they actually heard the shots being fired,' McCord said.
A WCIA reporter said you can see where some of the bullets flew through the window. McCord said they immediately went over to the scene and found the victim before the 911 call even came in.
'Very proud of them, you know, we consider our officers top notch,' McCord said. 'I think I'm sure every department does. But they're well-trained. They're very proactive. This is a department that has young officers that are that are invested in the community.'
Officers found the victim in her bedroom, and she was taken to the hospital. Now, the focus turns to preventing future violence.
Teenager arrested in Danville for having gun underage, police say
'We go to the schools and we do violence intervention programing with K-12 students that attend Project Success afterschool programs at District 118,' said Violence Prevention and Family Outreach Coordinator Jamie Nightlinger.
And, helping heal those affected by it.
'We are also providing a support group once a month at the Danville Public Library,' Nightlinger said. 'We just have a support group — a safe space for people to share that have been affected by violence in the community and also to connect them with resources that they might need.'
But as for this specific crime, police need the community's help.
'We've solved many cases because of information that the community has provided us, and I think that will really be a big part of this because right now we just don't have much to go on.' McCord added.
Police said at this point, they don't have many leads — just a few shell casings found at the crime scene. They're asking anyone with information to call the department or Vermillion County Crimestoppers to deliver a tip.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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