3 deputies injured in shooting at gated community in Illinois

DIXON, Ill. — Three deputies were wounded during a standoff with a suspect on Wednesday that occurred at a gated community in northern Illinois, authorities said.

The shooting occurred at the Lost Lake community near Dixon, WREX-TV reported.

According to authorities, the suspect also received a gunshot wound, according to WTVO. The injured deputies were from the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office.

According to Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle, police were called to the 400 block of Wild Rice Lane at 8:39 a.m. CDT, the television station reported.

VanVickle said a 911 call was made by a family member, claiming an individual in the home had threatened them and himself.

Multiple agencies, including the Ogle County Sheriff and first responders from Dixon, Oregon, Mount Morris, and Polo, responded to the scene.

According to Lee County Sheriff Clay Whalen, law enforcement responded to a barricaded subject inside a home in the Lost Nation neighborhood of the community, WREX reported. The home was surrounded by police, including the emergency response team for the region, the television station reported.

A SWAT team and hostage negotiators were called to the scene at 9:18 a.m. CDT and repeatedly tried to make contact with the suspect, VanVickle told reporters. The sheriff said that more than 50 attempts had been made to contact the suspect by cellphone.

At 11:51 a.m., deputies from the SWAT team entered the home and “immediately” received fire, according to WREX.

The injured deputies were taken to Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital in Dixon, Nancy Varga, chief of staff at the hospital, told WTVO. Two of the victims were treated and released; the condition of the third victim has not been released, The Associated Press reported.

The condition of the suspect has not been released, according to WREX. VanVickle did not provide any details about the age and gender of the shooter or the victims, although he did say that all of the people who were wounded were in “good” condition.

It was unclear what led to the incident.

Following the shooting, Illinois Rep. Bradley J. Fritts, who represents Dixon, released a statement expressing his dismay about the incident, WREX reported.

“I am deeply disturbed by the heinous acts of violence that occurred against three law enforcement officers in our community today,” Fritts said. “I condemn this senseless attack against the officers who were responding to a call with the intention of keeping other individuals, including the suspect, safe.

“My thoughts and prayers remain with the three officers who were shot, along with the entire Ogle County Sheriff’s Department, as they work to recover from this horrific event.”

Investigators with the Illinois State Police will be leading the investigation, which is ongoing, the television station reported.

Dixon is located approximately 102 miles west of downtown Chicago.

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