Monday, February 4, 2008

One survivor in Lane Bryant shooting

Police have confirmed that a sixth woman in the Tinley Park store shooting on Sunday survived the incident and was released from the hospital. They don't release any information on her, however, since she's in protective custody until the killer is caught.

Other stores in the mall are open today, and some of the employees are speculating about the motive for the shooting, which left five women dead in the Lane Bryant store. Police say it's a robbery, but some have pointed out that the clothing store wouldn't have much cash on hand. Officials are investigating whether one of the women might have known the gunman.

The dead include store manager McFarland, 42, of Joliet; Connie R. Woolfolk, 37, a real estate broker from Flossmoor; Carrie Hudek Chiuso, 33, a social worker from Frankfort; Sarah Szafranski, 22, a paralegal and graduate of Oak Forest High School; and Jennifer L. Bishop, 34, a nurse from South Bend, Ind., who accompanied her husband to a convention in Tinley Park.

One of the women did apparently try to fight the attacker. Relatives who claimed her body say she had blood under her fingernails and was badly beaten. Thanks to her efforts, they may have DNA to help convict the killer.

Lane Bryant is offering a $50,000 reward.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I believe that ads for Lane Bryant touting their wares right next to the article regarding the 5 murdered women in Tinley Park, IL in the web version of the Chicago Sun-Times is inappropriate and in bad taste! Shame on the Sun-Times! Peace to the family members of the ladies and Godspeed in finding the murderer!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, most ads on the internet these days work on cookies. You're seeing a Lane Bryant ad because you shop at plus-size stores online.

Anonymous said...

Or because the article mentioned one of several keywords, like the store name or "plus-size", which triggered the computer-generated ad that matches topic to interest group. There's really not much they can do about it. If it was in the print version, I'd wonder about the tastefulness as well.

Anonymous said...

Thank you geek people for explaining the Lane Bryant ads around this article. As a person that works at Lane Bryant Marketing, we are all quite dismayed and upset with what has happened in our store, and don't want to be misconstrued as crass and unfeeling. There is really no way we can control this aspect of our communication with our customers.

Anonymous said...

Who gives a crap about an add during this sensitive time. I shopped at this "LB" store often. My 3 sisters an I were on our way there 40 minutes after this happened. I laughed and joked with the Manager, Rhoda. Man what a nice lady, so full of life. A joy to be around. I hope the cops catch this rotten son of a bitch soon and he suffers long and hard......

Anonymous said...

You know, as a retail manager, this really hits home. i work at a local retail shop here in columbus ohio. my shop in itself has been robbed before, not violently in the same nature, but these are our sistsers in retail. it makes you become so aware that times are tough, and people become more and more desperate to have the urge to take innocent human life...and for what.. a quick buck? Im praying for these people, and praying that man gets caught so so soon!

Anonymous said...

If a "quick buck" was the motive why not take the money and run? Why did this monster have to take their lives so violently? Has the world gone crazy? You can't go to work? Or go shopping without fear? Times like this we need to appreciate our loved ones a little more, hug a little longer, not get upset when the kids splash water out of the bath tub..... Appreciate every moment we have...it very well may be our last. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families..

Anonymous said...

Come on people are you freakin serious to be discussing a ad at a time like this or are you just gossiping!!!! i think lane bryant is very sorry for what happened and they are trying everything in their power to catch this guy they even put out a $50,000 reward to anyone that leads the fbi to this so called man!!!! I agree with the person that said they want this son of a bitch caught and let him suffer long and hard. tinley police when you catch him kick his ass before you turn him in to the fbi....let him suffer in pain like them women did. better yet cut his pee pee off b/c before he killed these women he tried to sexually assault one of them ladies. you sick son of a bitch how could you get a erection b/4 you kill someone. boys in jail when he gets there f/@k him up for this.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Alex...you are one sick sad SOB.There is nothing funny in the loss of life.Doesn't matter what size they were.These women were wives,sisters,mothers.They have family that loves them and will miss them.You are a sorry human being.

Anonymous said...

Odviously Alex is trying to get a rise out of anyone who will bite. His commentary is so inappropriate that he's odviously needing attention from anyone who will give it to him. Alex, I don't think your opinion is wanted or needed here on this subject... go play somewhere else.

JoGeek said...

No Alex, I don't care how much you beg, I will not have sex with you. Learn to live with disappointment.

JoGeek said...

Poor little sociopathic Alex has been deleted from a few of my posts, I'm sure he'll go cry about it.

Anonymous said...

"This tragedy should not have happened in any town," said Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki. "Sadly, this is a commentary on our society, that no community is immune to what can happen."

I would hasten to inform Mayor Zabrocki that this is NOT a commentary on our society, and I'm SICK of city officials (and government officials in general) constantly blaming horrors such as this on SOCIETY. By God, this was the act of a cold-blooded killer who IN NO WAY represents ANY portion of society with which I'm familiar.

Why, I wonder, do officials such as Ed Zabrocki feel that ALL OF US are to blame for HIS inability to protect the community?

I will say this: Those fair women are beyond all earthly care now, and it's our responsibility to pick up the pieces, to attempt provide some semblance of order and peace to the shattered lives and homes and families who remain. That's all we can do for them.

But if Mayor Ed Zabrocki is going to come in and additionally burden us with the RESPONSIBILITY for this and other such crimes, then he'd better stand BACK and let US take the law into our own hands, because his watch isn't getting the job done.

Anonymous said...

"This tragedy should not have happened in any town," said Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki. "Sadly, this is a commentary on our society, that no community is immune to what can happen."

I would hasten to inform Mayor Zabrocki that this is NOT a commentary on our society, and I'm SICK of city officials (and government officials in general) constantly blaming horrors such as this on SOCIETY. By God, this was the act of a cold-blooded killer who IN NO WAY represents ANY portion of society with which I'm familiar.

Why, I wonder, do officials such as Ed Zabrocki feel that ALL OF US are to blame for HIS inability to protect the community?

I will say this: Those fair women are beyond all earthly care now, and it's our responsibility to pick up the pieces, to attempt provide some semblance of order and peace to the shattered lives and homes and families who remain. That's all we can do for them. But if Ed Zabrocki is going to come in and additionally burden us with the RESPONSIBILITY for this and other such crimes, then he'd better stand BACK and let US take the law into our own hands, because his watch isn't getting the job done.

Anonymous said...

I for one would love to know what "Alex's" comment was.

As for the town of Tinley Park, I stand behind my town in their investigation and progress so far. What else can they do? They have been working night and day to find this maniac. They called the members of this town the same night with a recorded message urging anyone to call is they see anything suspicious, no matter how trivial. They are notifying the world of any new facts when they can. They are still running the investigation and obviously can't release all their findings. Just like I'm glued to the TV, so is this maniac. Trying to find out how close they are to his front door. Be patient and let them do their jobs. Politics have nothing to do with this if you ask me. Everyone is always looking to point the finger and place blame. If you ask me the blame is due alright. Let's point the finger to this maniacs mother, father, siblings, family. How could you not see that this person needs help? He has money to get his hair "corn rolled" and have jewelry in his hair, but has to take 5 lives for $200.00 plus? Give me a break.

We need to come together at a time like this. Offer assistance in everyway. Isn't there a website we can start to do some good for the families, something to assist here? Any ideas I'm open.

Anonymous said...

Charming Shoppes, which owns Lane Bryant, Catherines, Fashion Bug and Petite Sophisticate, has established a memorial fund for the families of the incredible women who lost their lives.

The Lane Bryant Tinley Park Memorial Fund
Harris Bank
19500 S. Harlem Avenue
Frankfort, IL 60423
ATTN: Sandy Kozin

All of the funds collected will be distributed equally among the five victims' families.

As a manager of one of Lane Bryant's "sister" stores, I cannot tell you how many times I have thought over the last 10 days, "this could have happened to us." My hope is that they find the monster who committed this unspeakable crime as quickly as possible, and that he receives the punishment he deserves.

Rest in peace, ladies.

Anonymous said...

HI dani from sweden here,its a big shame for the killer i hope he burns in hell,its a tragedy peace