Witnesses Describe Chicago Mall Shooter

Motive May Be Botched Robbery; Reward For Leads On Massacre That Left 5 Women Dead

(CBS/AP)  As police continued their search Sunday for a gunman who killed five women at a suburban Chicago strip mall a day earlier, passers-by erected a memorial of five white crosses and flowers to the victims.

Sunday night, police say a sixth woman was hurt. While she is expected to recover, she is already working with officers searching for the gunman, reports CBS News station WBBM-TV in Chicago.

Tinley Park Police Sgt. T.J. Grady also says a second witness has come forward with a description of the suspect's vehicle. While more details will be released Monday, Grady did say the car is red, which will allow police to better analyze surveillance video, and perhaps enhance a license plate, reports WBBM.

Police released few details about the Saturday shooting at the Lane Bryant clothing store. Investigators believed it was a robbery that was interrupted, but declined to say how it was stopped or who called 911.

"This has been an extremely sensitive investigation," police Chief Mike O'Connell said.

O'Connell said a bystander told officers that he had seen a stocky black man, about 5-foot-9, who was wearing a black winter coat, a knit cap and dark pants, reports WBBM.

"We are very comfortable that the offender is out of the area. We had an immediate search of the area immediately after the incident was reported. We had an officer respond within a minute," O'Connell said Saturday.

Attempts to find him with dogs and a helicopter equipped with infrared sensors also failed, authorities said.

The five women - a manager and four customers - were herded into the back room of the store and killed shortly after it opened, authorities have said. The Will County coroner's office said all five died from gunshot wounds.

The victims were identified as Connie R. Woolfolk, 37, of Flossmoor; Sarah T. Szafranski, 22, of Oak Forest; Carrie H. Chiuso, 33, of Frankfort; Rhoda McFarland, 42, of Joliet; and Jennifer L. Bishop, 34, of South Bend, Ind.

In a Target store across the parking lot from Lane Bryant, terrified customers were herded to the front as police with pistols and rifles drawn went up and down the aisles and into storerooms searching for the gunman, reports WBBM.

Chicago-area Lane Bryant stores were closed Sunday in honor of those who died. The store's parent company, Bensalem, Pa.-based Charming Shoppes Inc., offered a $50,000 reward for information that could lead police to the gunman.

Will County Crime Stoppers were also offering a $5,000 reward, reports WBBM.

"The employees of Charming Shoppes and Lane Bryant are deeply saddened by the loss of life resulting from this horrific event," the statement said. "We grieve for the innocent victims and our primary concern at this time is for the families and loved ones of those fatally injured."

Police tape flapped in the wind in front of the boarded-up store, while mourners erected the makeshift memorial of crosses and flowers in the parking lot.

A tear rolled down Cindy Sorenson's cheek as she brought a bouquet of bright red roses to Lane Bryant. Sorenson, who works at a nearby mall, said she didn't know the victims, but couldn't stop thinking about them.

"You spend so much time in a store and you never think anything like this will happen," the 34-year-old Sorenson said.

Friends and family remembered the victims as strong, caring women.

"Our emotions are raw. And we are still in shock," Szafranski's family said in a statement. "Sarah was loved by all who knew her and we are counting on that love to sustain us while we mourn."

Szafranski was a 2007 graduate of Northern Illinois University who was working as a paralegal, according to a Web site that appeared to be her Facebook page.

Chiuso was a social worker at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, where she graduated 1993.

"Carrie was deeply loved by faculty and staff," said school spokesman Dave Thieman in a statement. "She had a real touch with students. The entire H-F family is deeply saddened."

McFarland was an ordained minister who began working at the retailer after her church closed spent the past two years as store manager. Her best friend, Sandra McGhee of Joliet, said she was a hopeful, prayerful woman.

"Because I know her so well, I think to the end Rhoda might have even tried to talk to this man, tried to help him," McGhee said. "Even with her last breath, I believe she would have been forgiving him and trying to help him."

Bishop was a part-time nurse in the intensive care unit at Memorial Hospital of South Bend, according to spokeswoman Ruth Linster, who said she'd worked there for 13 years.

"She was a wonderful person - an exceptional human being and a wonderful nurse and a wonderful mother," said Nancy Pemberton, a hospital nursing supervisor.

Woolfolk, a mother of two sons, was a real estate broker and ran a business called Mortgages, Etc. with her mother. "She was just a loving person who would help anybody," her father Melvin Woolfolk said. "Nobody deserved what happened."

[loveeyes24]

To all family and friends of theses ladies. May God bless you and keep you. Love and Blessing to all IPC Officer Cline (Landmark Mall- Alexandria, VA). I also send my prayers from our lovely ladies from Lane Bryant- Landmark mall. If the family or friends need anything- from help to encouragement don''t hesisate to look us on the net or whateva. Once again, coming froma mother, may God bless you all and keep you.

[jegibbons]

When they catch this goon, and they will catch him, he will turn out to be a career criminal with an IQ below room temperature. He will have committed this heinous crime with almost no planning or provocation.
If they ask him why? ANSWER: ''Cuz dey wuz dare!
He will have contacts to the underworld where he could have obtained this gun which he will have stolen or obtained illegally. All the gun laws in the world would not have prevented this tragedy.
However if one, just one, of those women had been packing a handgun, maybe he would have been the one wheeled out of that store ten toes up. I am
sick of those reactionarys who refuse to deal and negotiate strictly in the facts.

[michellem99-2009]

crzmeat my dad has hunting guns,and he would never think of this. I am sure yer met my Dad as he has lived in Bucksport since 62. I am appalled that people are so violate today..I grew up.. This is awful. If they will shot to kill a lady than he has written his ticket and that being death. I hope they find that asre.

[korinsha]

Just admit it schoollord and excoachken,
You don''''t want "reasonable gun control", you want unconstitutional GUN BANS for all civilians, just like all dictatorial communist and fascist states have.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by gunownerdan at 01:13 PM : Feb 04, 2008


Actually, had you bothered to read, that wasn''t stated at all. I guess reading is hard when you''re concentrating on spewing hateful nonsensical garbage.

[Krazcarl]

Schoolord.....You are wrong period you backing up post woih worthless facts that mean little or nothing kind of like you. Know many gun owners but no murderers, do know a man that took his life with one but had another friend that used rope should we outlaw rope your argument is seaceless and I being a victum of violent crime have 0 problemwith private gun ownership your argument will leave honest folks to the mercy of crimanals.

[michellem99-2009]

I would like to know why today there is more drive shooting,killings,robberies,etc..than years ago..is it hollywood..kids out of control what..lock the gun up or don''t own one..I live in a gun free apt. 5 ladies are dead for buy chothes they need..men know they can buy ladies clothes..Was he **** that they were ladies or what.. If he is reading this..he is so low that he belongs in lock up..

[gunownerdan]

schoollord, I know the role of guns in gun violence, but I am also realistic. Guns are here to stay and no matter how much you wish they would go away it will never happen. If guns are banned for all civilians, then they will still be in the hands of politicians, police, and criminals.
Dangerous people will always get guns or other weapons and the most effective defense is to be able to meet their force with equal or greater force.
Guns are an effective tool or else they would not be so popular.
Better education and enforcement of existing laws can solve much more problems than any draconian gun ban.

[gunownerdan]

schoollord said: "There are a series of doctors that could help you with your acute paranoia!~"

I don''t think anyone can help you with your extreme hatred and bigotry.

"We have 30,000 gun deaths per year and most of them are caused by gun owners like YOU."

Actually, most of them are caused by the SUICIDAL.

"Gun NUTZ are the worst enemy of the Second Amendment!~"

Actually those who blame guns and not the people who use them illegally, then find excuses for criminals while they fail to punish them properly for their crimes are the real enemies of the second amendment.

[gunownerdan]

Just admit it schoollord and excoachken,
You don''t want "reasonable gun control", you want unconstitutional GUN BANS for all civilians, just like all dictatorial communist and fascist states have.

[Krazcarl]

The gun that shot me was stolen and bought for 50 bucks tops. All gun laws do is make it harder for noncriminals to get guns and drive up the price of stolen weapons most of these weapons aren''t reported stolen unless there is a insurance claim everyone knows reporting theft will rarely get your property back.

[bot5plus]

Any jackarrse thinks gun control work, look at the cities w/ the strickest gun control: they have the highest crime rates. Screw all you left wing, liberal, candied arssee Demojackasssees, wanting more gun control. Can we say, ITS THE CRIMINALS YOU MORON!!!!!!!!!!!!

[excoachken]

Hip Hip Hooray for the N.R.A. and the gun nuts who support their "death for profit" philosophy. Without reasonable gun control killers will be out of control.

[SuzieH212006]

I agree that once a person is condemned to being legally insane AND a murderer, they should be "put to sleep". They are never going to be a funtioning memeber of society, and are of no good to humanity, so why should the government decide to waste millions of dollars every year to keep these scumbags alive sitting on death row for the next twenty years. If you are legally insane and a danger to other people - we don''t need you here, you should be destroyed just like a mad dog.

[rowdytexan2]

Sincere condolences to the families of these young women.

[runningralph]

Murdering maniacs will never become taxpayers. They should be studied, analyzed and disposed of. Get rid of the insanity plea. If a person is judged to be legally insane AND a murderer they should be destroyed the same as a mad dog.