Children Almost Shot In Shorewood Bedroom, Woman Still Intends To Kill Her Father: Prosecutor
JOLIET, IL — Dana Thompson, the 32-year-old Chicago woman being held in the Will County Jail in connection with this week's two separate home shootings a half-mile away from one another in Shorewood, must remain in custody because she remains focused on ending the life of her father, according to Will County's high-ranking criminal prosecutor Tricia McKenna.
"She stated she traveled to Shorewood, Illinois, so she could kill her dad because he didn't provide proper health care for her grandmother," McKenna outlined in Thursday's petition seeking to deny pretrial release for Thompson. "She advised, without being given these specifics of the case, that she only had four bullets in her gun and she used them all. She stated she used a Glock, but she should have used a shotgun. She knew her father's bedroom was on the second floor of his house but didn't know his exact address. Officers confirmed independently that defendant's father does live in this area."
Thompson's multiple gunshots could have ended the lives of two Shorewood children who were sleeping inside their home on Bethany Drive, according to prosecutors.
Shorewood police found two bullet holes in the exterior screen and through the bedroom window at the home that was shot at on Bethany Drive.
"The defendant poses a real and specific threat to the victims in this case, the residents of the homes in the specific subdivisions she targeted, the community at large, and her father, as set forth below," McKenna indicated in her court filings. "The defendant's statements following the commission of this offense indicate she was focused and remains focused on targeting and killing her father. That desire led to her shooting and endangering occupants of random houses, complete strangers to her, which reflects the danger to the community as a whole."
Thompson Refused To Attend Pretrial Detention Hearing At Will County Courthouse
Thompson was scheduled to make her first Will County Courthouse appearance on Thursday afternoon. In addition to Shorewood's new deputy chief Brian Poulsen, a Shorewood couple whose home sustained gunshot wounds came to the courthouse to watch the proceedings.
However, Joliet Patch learned that Thompson's 1:30 p.m. hearing in front of Will County Judge Derek Ewanic would not take place, because Thompson stubbornly refused to leave her jail cell and make the trip over to the courthouse, according to court officials. Because Thompson was not present, her hearing was re-set for Friday morning.
The Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow has charged Thompson with two crimes of aggravated discharge of a gun, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and three crimes of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.
Family Of 5 Slept When Home Shot On Bethany Drive
Back in 2014, Thompson was convicted in Cook County of felony fleeing and eluding the police, making her ineligible to own or have a handgun. Although Shorewood police identified Thompson as residing in Hammond, Indiana, Will County prosecutors say she lives in Chicago in an apartment unit along South Kimbark Avenue.
According to McKenna's petition seeking to keep Thompson detained under the SAFE-T-Act, on Tuesday, at approximately 4:50 a.m., Shorewood police learned about possible gunshots fired near near Ca-Crest Drive and Highland Drive, but found no evidence at that time.
Then, at 6:50 a.m., officers responded back to Bethany Drive for a property damage call. Officers saw damage to a home on Bethany consistent with gunshots. In the upstairs bedroom, belonging to minor children, officers saw two bullet holes in the exterior screen and through the bedroom window. There were multiple holes in the ceiling and drywall of the bedroom. An intact 9mm bullet was found on the floor of the bedroom beneath damage to the ceiling.
A total of five people, including three minor children, were home at the time, court files show. One homeowner heard a noise upstairs at approximately 4:45 a.m. but believed an item fell. Children were present in that room and asleep at the time of the shooting. Three spent Luger shell casings were recovered from the driveway in front of the home, McKenna revealed Thursday.
Alarm System Activated At 4:45 A.M.
While processing the crime scene, Shorewood officers learned that a different house on Northgate Drive was struck by apparent gunfire as well. That home was a half-mile from the gunfire on Bethany Drive. Prosecutors said the officers discovered a bullet hole to the home on Northgate Drive which went into the upstairs bedroom of the homeowner's adult child.
A projectile was found in the closet of that room. The resident slept in the bedroom during the incident. The alarm system activated at 4:45 a.m. and another adult child heard a bang at that time.
According to security camera footage along Northgate Drive, a vehicle parked in the street at 4:56 a.m. near the victim's home and the driver turned off their headlights and walked to the front of the house and "he or she raised what appeared to be a firearm in one hand and fired a shot toward the residence. The individual then reentered the vehicle and left," court files show.
One 9mm Luger shell casing was found in the street where the person seen on video stood, McKenna noted. A vehicle matching the description viewed on security footage was located on Shorewood police's Flock cameras. The registered owner is this defendant, who has a Chicago address, McKenna advised.
"Many additional license plate readers captured the plate on this vehicle on the date of this occurrence. Those captures occurred in Lansing, Princeton, Peru, Minooka, and Shorewood, and include one at 4:39 a.m. a half mile from the shootings," the prosecutor pointed out.
"Throughout her statement and her entire time in custody at the Shorewood Police Department, defendant repeatedly reiterated her desire to kill her father," McKenna added.
