My favorite part: "Gov. Rod Blagojevich was not in the Capitol at the time." Why would he be? He never bothered to move to Springfield, after all.
From the Chicago Tribune--
Guard Shot to Death at Illinois Capitol
By RYAN KEITH Associated Press Writer Published September 20, 2004, 9:10 PM CDT
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- A gunman walked into the state Capitol and fatally shot an unarmed security guard Monday before stashing the weapon in the trunk of his car and driving away, authorities said.
The officer was killed with one gunshot to the chest, said Col. Larry Schmidt, chief deputy director of the Secretary of State Police. Authorities did not immediately know the motive for the attack.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich was not in the Capitol at the time, and the Legislature is not in session. The Capitol has no metal detectors, and its security guards are not armed.
Police say the shooter matched the description of a man who was involved in an apparent robbery attempt about an hour earlier at a military surplus store two miles away. The store owner recognized the man as the same person suspected of stealing a shotgun from the business a week earlier, authorities said.
"Right now there might be three criminal events linked to this one person," said Lt. Doug Williamson of the Springfield Police Department.
Acting on a tip, police surrounded a Springfield apartment building a few hours after the Capitol shooting. The stakeout stretched into the evening with no word of an arrest.
The shooter entered the north entrance and shot the guard at about 1:45 p.m., said Randy Nehrt, a spokesman for the Secretary of State's Office, which has law enforcement jurisdiction over the building. The shooting occurred just inside the building's entrance. The gunman used either a rifle or a shotgun.
"It just sounded like a bomb went off. Then someone immediately yelled, 'Someone's been shot,'" said Leslie Root, who works for a state senator on the first floor near the site of the shooting.
State Rep. Rich Brauer identified the slain guard as William Wozniak, who he said was married with two teenage children.
The Capitol was locked down for about an hour after the shooting, following an announcement over the intercom ordering everyone to stay in their offices.
Outside, police cars and ambulances surrounded the building, and officers roped off the entrance. After the lockdown was lifted, armed officers were in the halls and everyone entering the building was required to sign in, rather than the usual procedure of simply showing a badge.
The suspect was described as white and about 20 years old. Police said they were searching for a silver or gray two-door car. At least three or four people saw the shooter, and officials were reviewing footage from surveillance cameras, Schmidt said.
At a news conference Monday night, Blagojevich expressed his sympathy to the victim's family and called for tighter security, including metal detectors and possibly weapons for the security force.
A Statehouse security guard died after being shot in the chest at the Capitol about 1:30 p.m. Monday.
Authorities were still searching for a male suspect, thought to be dark-haired and in his 20s, Monday afternoon. He was said to have been driving a gray or silver car, possibly a Honda or Toyota.
The shooting occurred just inside the north door of the Capitol. Witnesses said they heard only one shot.
The gunman reportedly pulled up in a vehicle in the driveway on the north side of the Capitol. He apparently got out of the car, went up to the door, shot the guard, got back in the car and drove away.
One witness, thought to be a tourist, reportedly saw the man run from the building as the security guard slumped to the floor.
The victim was taken to St. John's Hospital where he died later in surgery, secretary of state officials said about 3:50 p.m. The secretary of state's office oversees the Statehouse.
Police said they think the same man also may have been involved in a shooting about an hour earlier at Birds 'N Brooks Army Navy Surplus store at 2641 S. 6th St.
In that incident, a man described by police as having a "chili-bowl" haircut apparently attempted to steal a weapon from the store. Someone employed by the store was shot in the incident, although it was not clear this afternoon if the Statehouse gunman fired the shot or if the victim was shot by another person working at the store.
On Tuesday, a man was waiting outside the same surplus store when employees arrived to open the store. Once in the store, that man, described as in his 20s, jumped over the counter, grabbed a $500 shotgun and fled in a two-door gray car. Police also suspected the thief in Tuesday's incident may have been Monday's gunman.
A number of state government buildings and several schools near downtown Springfield were locked down Monday afternoon.
At the Capitol, no one was permitted in or out of the building immediately after the shooting.
Security guards at the Capitol are unarmed. To enter the Capitol, visitors must sign in and present identification.
This morning's story, from the [Springfield IL] State Journal-Register--
Capitol guard killed Police identify suspect
By JASON PISCIA STAFF WRITER
A massive manhunt continued late Monday for Derek W. Potts, 24, of Springfield and Olney, who is accused of shooting to death a security guard at the Illinois Capitol Monday afternoon.
William P. Wozniak, 51, of Petersburg was at the security check-in post just inside the Statehouse's north entrance at 1:38 p.m. when he was shot once in the chest with a shotgun at close range. An ambulance took Wozniak, who was unarmed, to St. John's Hospital. He died during surgery at 2:52 p.m.
Police late Monday issued an arrest warrant for Potts. A press release said he had been linked to both the Statehouse shooting and to a shooting about an hour earlier Monday at the Birds-N-Brooks military surplus store, 2641 S. Sixth St. One man was wounded in the earlier incident.
The warrant charges Potts with first-degree murder, burglary, aggravated discharge of a firearm and no firearm owner's identification card.
Authorities said at a briefing at the Capitol that they knew of no connection between Potts and Wozniak.
"He's likely still in this area," Springfield police Lt. Doug Williamson said of Potts.
Officials said they didn't know how long Potts had been in the Springfield area. Olney, a town of about 8,600, is in southeastern Illinois. They said they had been in contact with his parents, but that they believed the parents have not heard from Potts recently.
Potts has no criminal record in Sangamon County, court files showed.
Anyone with information on Potts' whereabouts was asked to call 558-0672.
Police chased down possible sightings of Potts' car - a gray or silver foreign model with a spoiler - for much of Monday afternoon until they zeroed in on his residence at the Hickox Apartments, 631 S. Fourth St., where the car had been seen.
Heavily armed authorities, including SWAT teams from the Springfield police and Sangamon County Sheriff's Office, surrounded the building for several hours.
About 9 p.m., officers executed a search warrant on Potts' second-floor apartment. He was not inside, but authorities reportedly did find a shotgun and a duffel bag. They also began to look for a second car.
Sometime around midnight, a pair of black cargo pants were said to have been found in a bag behind D'Arcy's Pint, 2413 S. MacArthur Blvd., leading police to believe that Potts may have changed clothing.
Later, he was reported to have been seen in the vicinity of Show-Me's Restaurant, 3101 S. MacArthur Blvd.
There apparently were no witnesses to the actual shooting, said Col. Larry Schmidt, chief deputy director of the Illinois Secretary of State Police, which handles security at the Capitol complex.
But authorities believe the attack happened quickly and without warning.
"It just appears at this point he parked his car on the (north) driveway, walked in, apparently just enough to open the door, shot, turned around, put his gun in the trunk, got in the car and drove off," Schmidt said during a news conference.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich was not at the Statehouse at the time of the shooting. But he did fly from Chicago Monday evening to conduct a news conference.
"I want to say how deeply saddened I am and how deeply grieved I know the people of Illinois are at what happened today, and I would ask all the citizens of our state to say a prayer for the victim and for his family," he said, noting he had spoken to Wozniak's wife, Sheila, Monday evening.
Secretary of State Jesse White visited the family in Petersburg.
The two officials planned to meet late Monday to discuss ways to beef up security at the Capitol, the home office for five of the seven constitutional officers and the two legislative chambers. Those ideas included installing metal detectors, restricting ways to get in and arming security guards.
Armed police officers were stationed at the Capitol for several months following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the East Coast. But the security eventually went back to unarmed guards only.
"I guess it was probably felt that there wasn't a need, manpower restrictions and things of that nature," Schmidt said.
It's not clear, however, whether extra security measures could have prevented the type of in-and-out attack that happened Monday.
"He wouldn't even have had time to go through a metal detector," Schmidt said.
Wozniak, who had been a guard at the Statehouse since 1986, is survived by his wife and two children, Marc, 16, and Megan, 13.
Statehouse editor Dana Heupel and staff writers Adriana Colindres, Doug Finke and John Reynolds, contributed to this report. Jason Piscia can be reached at 788-1525 or jason.pis...@sj-r.com.
Unarmed guard dies in Capitol shooting Officials call for tighter security
By Christi Parsons and John Chase, Tribune staff reporters. Tribune staff reporters Karen Mellen in Petersburg, Ray Long in Springfield and Courtney Flynn in Chicago contributed to this report Published September 21, 2004
SPRINGFIELD -- An unarmed guard was shot and killed Monday in an entrance to the state Capitol by a man who police said may have also been involved in a shooting in a local gun shop.
The attack on 51-year-old William Wozniak prompted calls from Gov. Rod Blagojevich and others to tighten security at public facilities such as the Capitol, which has no metal detectors, armed guards or security cameras at its doors.
Wozniak, who was married and the father of two teens, was hit in the chest at point-blank range with a shotgun or rifle blast at 1:38 p.m. as he staffed a sign-in desk just inside the doors to the Capitol's north entrance, police said.
Late Monday, Springfield police issued an arrest warrant for Derek W. Potts, 24, of Olney, on charges of murder, burglary and aggravated discharge of a weapon.
Police said the shooter apparently drove up a circular drive used by elected officials and other VIPs that flanks the Capitol, got out of his silver or gray car, walked up a short flight of steps, shot Wozniak and then fled in the vehicle.
Police surrounded an apartment building a few blocks from the Capitol where a caller suggested the suspect might be. After four hours, they determined he was not inside and speculated he may have switched cars after the shooting.
Police said they found a weapon in an apartment in the building that they believe was used in the attempted gun shop robbery and possibly in the Capitol.
Hours before the shooting of Wozniak, a man matching the gunman's description had attempted to rob Birds N Brooks, a gun and military surplus shop a few miles to the south.
Police said the owner of the gun store recognized the suspect as a man who had stolen a shotgun from Birds N Brooks on Sept. 14. Dale Patterson told police the man walked into his store Monday with what appeared to be the stolen weapon and demanded an assault rifle.
The man fired off a round, possibly into the ceiling, authorities said.
Patterson ran into his office, locked the door and grabbed a gun of his own, police said. Patterson began shooting through the door, accidentally striking his 37-year-old son in the shoulder. His condition was not immediately known, but his injuries were not considered life-threatening, authorities said.
Authorities offered no motive for the attack in the Capitol, and it is unclear whether there is any connection between Wozniak and his attacker. Though witnesses saw the gunman going in and out of the building, nobody witnessed the shooting.
Since the incident took place in the Capitol entrance, it was unclear whether toughened security measures could have prevented it. Even so, Blagojevich said the shooting likely will lead to heightened security, saying it might be time to consider adding permanent metal detectors in the Capitol and other state buildings, restricting access to parts of the Capitol, and arming security guards.
"This is an act of brutality at the front door of our state government," the governor said after coming to Springfield following the incident. "This building is a symbol of our democracy, a place where people can walk the halls of their government, a place where people can have their voices heard. We will not allow cold-blooded killers to keep the people of Illinois away from their government."
Other political leaders also called for beefed-up security at the Capitol and second-guessed decisions to relax security measures put in place after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Immediately after those attacks, Secretary of State Jesse White stationed members of his armed police force at the Capitol entrances. Guards also began using electronic wands to search incoming visitors.
Security loosened
Eventually, however, those measures were eased. The armed guards were replaced by unarmed ones at the entrances. Drivers, once hindered by concrete barricades placed at the entrance to the circular driveway used Monday by Wozniak's killer, were once again free to approach the Capitol without being stopped for inspection.
White said that he had once suggested installing metal detectors at the doors, but that members of the General Assembly objected. "They did not want this to look like an armed camp," White said.
The state also opted not to install security cameras in and around the building. The nearest one was posted several hundred yards away on another state building. Late Monday, authorities were combing through images on that videotape hoping to find something useful.
While the state personnel list has been trimmed in recent months due to budget problems, Blagojevich insisted staff cuts did not compromise safety.
Michael Chamness, chairman of the state's Terrorism Task Force, said the post-9/11 security procedures were relaxed due to the "passage of time and the lack of incidents."
But White said the decision to remove armed guards was due to "a budgetary situation."
On Monday, visitors and employees in the Capitol knew something was amiss after hearing what many described as an explosion that some thought sounded like scaffolding collapsing.
In the seconds after the shooting, secretaries emerged from offices and saw Wozniak lying on the floor. By the time another guard got to him, he was conscious and moaning, bleeding heavily from his chest. .
Wozniak, who worked for the secretary of state's security staff, died shortly later in a hospital operating room, said Col. Larry Schmidt, chief deputy of the secretary of state's police.
Wozniak had moved decades ago from Detroit to Petersburg, about 25 miles northwest of Springfield. The shooting shocked many people in the small, close-knit community.
`Difficult to believe'
"It's difficult to believe," said Mayor Diane Kube. "I don't know how someone can get in the Capitol with a shotgun."
One of Wozniak's longtime friends, Mark Ed, said Wozniak was a dedicated family man who loved spending time with his wife, Sheila, their son Marc, 16, and their daughter Megan, 13.
"He was like the epitome of what you'd want in a friend," Ed said of Wozniak. "No matter what you'd ask him, he'd be right there to do it for you."
Antone DeRocchi, another friend, said Wozniak used to be known as "The Prez" because he knew so much.
Carl Hannon, who retired several years ago as a Capitol guard, said Wozniak was a perfectionist at his job and someone who took charge when the situation called for it.
Every guard lives with fear, Hannon said. "We all knew that if some crazy person just walked off the street and wanted to get the governor, he was going to have to go through several of us security guards," he said. "This was always in the back of our minds, but we never talked about it."
Anne Warfield wrote: > The army surplus store is not too far from my neighborhood. Weird.
Isn't it creepy when something like this in some way hits so close to home? I heard on WCIA News this morning that the killer has been identified and arrested. Their web site isn't up to date, so I can't find any details yet.
> A Statehouse security guard died after being shot in the chest at the > Capitol about 1:30 p.m. Monday.
> Authorities were still searching for a male suspect, thought to be > dark-haired and in his 20s, Monday afternoon. He was said to have been > driving a gray or silver car, possibly a Honda or Toyota.
> The shooting occurred just inside the north door of the Capitol. > Witnesses said they heard only one shot.
> The gunman reportedly pulled up in a vehicle in the driveway on the > north side of the Capitol. He apparently got out of the car, went up > to the door, shot the guard, got back in the car and drove away.
> One witness, thought to be a tourist, reportedly saw the man run from > the building as the security guard slumped to the floor.
> The victim was taken to St. John's Hospital where he died later in > surgery, secretary of state officials said about 3:50 p.m. The > secretary of state's office oversees the Statehouse.
> Police said they think the same man also may have been involved in a > shooting about an hour earlier at Birds 'N Brooks Army Navy Surplus > store at 2641 S. 6th St.
> In that incident, a man described by police as having a "chili-bowl" > haircut apparently attempted to steal a weapon from the store. Someone > employed by the store was shot in the incident, although it was not > clear this afternoon if the Statehouse gunman fired the shot or if the > victim was shot by another person working at the store.
> On Tuesday, a man was waiting outside the same surplus store when > employees arrived to open the store. Once in the store, that man, > described as in his 20s, jumped over the counter, grabbed a $500 > shotgun and fled in a two-door gray car. Police also suspected the > thief in Tuesday's incident may have been Monday's gunman.
> A number of state government buildings and several schools near > downtown Springfield were locked down Monday afternoon.
> At the Capitol, no one was permitted in or out of the building > immediately after the shooting.
> Security guards at the Capitol are unarmed. To enter the Capitol, > visitors must sign in and present identification.
>> The army surplus store is not too far from my neighborhood. Weird.
> Isn't it creepy when something like this in some way hits so > close to home? I heard on WCIA News this morning that the > killer has been identified and arrested. Their web site isn't > up to date, so I can't find any details yet.
Makes you think that the authorities must've gotten real serious about finding him. Too bad they didn't do that after he stole the gun, but before he used it to kill someone.
>> A Statehouse security guard died after being shot in the chest at the >> Capitol about 1:30 p.m. Monday.
>> Authorities were still searching for a male suspect, thought to be >> dark-haired and in his 20s, Monday afternoon. He was said to have been >> driving a gray or silver car, possibly a Honda or Toyota.
>> The shooting occurred just inside the north door of the Capitol. >> Witnesses said they heard only one shot.
>> The gunman reportedly pulled up in a vehicle in the driveway on the >> north side of the Capitol. He apparently got out of the car, went up >> to the door, shot the guard, got back in the car and drove away.
>> One witness, thought to be a tourist, reportedly saw the man run from >> the building as the security guard slumped to the floor.
>> The victim was taken to St. John's Hospital where he died later in >> surgery, secretary of state officials said about 3:50 p.m. The >> secretary of state's office oversees the Statehouse.
>> Police said they think the same man also may have been involved in a >> shooting about an hour earlier at Birds 'N Brooks Army Navy Surplus >> store at 2641 S. 6th St.
>> In that incident, a man described by police as having a "chili-bowl" >> haircut apparently attempted to steal a weapon from the store. Someone >> employed by the store was shot in the incident, although it was not >> clear this afternoon if the Statehouse gunman fired the shot or if the >> victim was shot by another person working at the store.
>> On Tuesday, a man was waiting outside the same surplus store when >> employees arrived to open the store. Once in the store, that man, >> described as in his 20s, jumped over the counter, grabbed a $500 >> shotgun and fled in a two-door gray car. Police also suspected the >> thief in Tuesday's incident may have been Monday's gunman.
>> A number of state government buildings and several schools near >> downtown Springfield were locked down Monday afternoon.
>> At the Capitol, no one was permitted in or out of the building >> immediately after the shooting.
>> Security guards at the Capitol are unarmed. To enter the Capitol, >> visitors must sign in and present identification.
>> The army surplus store is not too far from my neighborhood. Weird.
>Isn't it creepy when something like this in some way hits so >close to home? I heard on WCIA News this morning that the >killer has been identified and arrested. Their web site isn't >up to date, so I can't find any details yet.
Boy howdy yeah. My *mom* has been in that store, y'know?
Anyway, here's the latest, from the [Springfield IL] State Journal-Register--
Manhunt ends calmly Capitol killing suspect puts up no resistance
By JASON PISCIA STAFF WRITER
Derek W. Potts was calm and non-threatening when a woman on South Holmes Avenue found him sitting on a chair on her porch about 7 a.m. Tuesday.
A few minutes later, a dozen police cars descended on the 24-year-old to take him into custody for a crime that contradicted that appearance: Monday's shoot-and-run death of an unarmed security guard at the state Capitol.
An intense, 18-hour manhunt ended when Springfield police arrested Potts without a struggle as he walked in the 300 block of West Ash Street.
Officers were drawn to the area after a resident in the 1600 block of South Holmes reported seeing someone matching Potts' description knocking on doors, asking people to use the phone or for a ride to the police station.
One woman who lives on the block, but did not want her name published, said she had gone outside to get the newspaper about 7 a.m. and found Potts sitting on her porch holding her rolled-up newspaper in his hand. She did not recognize him as the accused murderer.
Speaking to him through the door, the woman said she heard the man ask to use her phone. She would not let him in.
"I was going to say, 'Give me the number and I'll call for you,'" she said. "But he said, 'Oh well, I'll go on,' or something like that.
"He didn't hurry down the street because I watched as far as next door. He just strolled down the street. He was very clean-looking and wasn't threatening or anything, but I don't let anyone in I don't know."
About 15 minutes after that encounter, police stopped Potts on the street in front of Phil Giger's home in the 300 block of West Ash.
He said he was just putting some coffee on when he heard several car doors slam. He looked out the window and saw about 12 squad cars in the area and officers talking to Potts. They then handcuffed him and placed him in a squad.
"It was very quiet, very professional," Giger said. "They didn't rough him up. He wasn't violated in any way. ... If you weren't looking out your window, you would have never known it happened. It was that quiet."
In addition to a motive for the killing, police said they were still investigating how Potts spent the 18 or so hours after he allegedly drove his car up the Statehouse's north driveway, got out, walked up the steps, stuck a shotgun in the doorway and fired one shot at close range that hit guard William Wozniak, 51, in the chest.
Police believe that about an hour before he went to the Statehouse, Potts stopped at Birds-N-Brooks Army Navy Surplus, 2641 S. Sixth St.
A police report indicated he had walked in with a 12-gauge shotgun, believed to be the same one he had allegedly stolen from the store Sept. 14.
He told an employee he wanted to do a "trade-in" for an assault rifle. The employee said the owner was the one who handled trade-ins, so owner Dale Patterson came out and reportedly recognized Potts as the burglar from last week.
According to the report, Potts repeated several times that he wanted an assault rifle while allegedly pointing the shotgun at Patterson.
Patterson went into his office and closed the door. Potts allegedly fired once into the office, breaking a window on the office door. Potts then left.
Meanwhile, Patterson was getting a shotgun of his own. Patterson's son, Dale Patterson II, 37, heard the commotion and grabbed a handgun.
The younger Patterson went to check on his father. But the police report indicated the father thought his son was Potts coming after him, so the elder Patterson fired out the door, striking his son once in the left shoulder.
The son was released on Tuesday from St. John's Hospital.
After the Capitol shooting, there were reports that Potts had gotten some new clothes, possibly from a store, and then changed somewhere near the Town & Country Shopping Center off MacArthur Boulevard. Discarded clothing was found behind D'Arcy's Pint, a bar and restaurant in the shopping center, police said.
He also reportedly went into D'Arcy's on Monday afternoon.
An employee confirmed Tuesday that Potts had been there and that police were interviewing people there, but he declined to elaborate.
Potts then reportedly went to another restaurant, Show-Me's, 3101 S. MacArthur. A worker there said she heard about Potts coming in Monday night, but she didn't know more.
It was believed Potts did much of his traveling throughout the night on foot. A car believed to be his was found and eventually towed away from the Hickox Apartments, 631 S. Fourth St., where Potts had a room on the second floor.
Anne Warfield wrote: > On Tue, 21 Sep 2004 09:55:17 -0500, Nancy Rudins > <nrud...@ncsa.uiuc.edu> wrote:
>>Anne Warfield wrote:
>>> The army surplus store is not too far from my neighborhood. Weird.
>>Isn't it creepy when something like this in some way hits so >>close to home? I heard on WCIA News this morning that the >>killer has been identified and arrested. Their web site isn't >>up to date, so I can't find any details yet.
> Boy howdy yeah. My *mom* has been in that store, y'know?
Thanks for the update. I heard on the news this morning that he might be schizophrenic (sp???) and not taking his meds. If that's true, the prosecutor said he might not seek the death penalty.
> Anyway, here's the latest, from the [Springfield IL] State > Journal-Register--
> Manhunt ends calmly > Capitol killing suspect puts up no resistance
> By JASON PISCIA > STAFF WRITER
> Derek W. Potts was calm and non-threatening when a woman on South > Holmes Avenue found him sitting on a chair on her porch about 7 a.m. > Tuesday.
> A few minutes later, a dozen police cars descended on the 24-year-old > to take him into custody for a crime that contradicted that > appearance: Monday's shoot-and-run death of an unarmed security guard > at the state Capitol.
> An intense, 18-hour manhunt ended when Springfield police arrested > Potts without a struggle as he walked in the 300 block of West Ash > Street.
> Officers were drawn to the area after a resident in the 1600 block of > South Holmes reported seeing someone matching Potts' description > knocking on doors, asking people to use the phone or for a ride to the > police station.
> One woman who lives on the block, but did not want her name published, > said she had gone outside to get the newspaper about 7 a.m. and found > Potts sitting on her porch holding her rolled-up newspaper in his > hand. She did not recognize him as the accused murderer.
> Speaking to him through the door, the woman said she heard the man ask > to use her phone. She would not let him in.
> "I was going to say, 'Give me the number and I'll call for you,'" she > said. "But he said, 'Oh well, I'll go on,' or something like that.
> "He didn't hurry down the street because I watched as far as next > door. He just strolled down the street. He was very clean-looking and > wasn't threatening or anything, but I don't let anyone in I don't > know."
> About 15 minutes after that encounter, police stopped Potts on the > street in front of Phil Giger's home in the 300 block of West Ash.
> He said he was just putting some coffee on when he heard several car > doors slam. He looked out the window and saw about 12 squad cars in > the area and officers talking to Potts. They then handcuffed him and > placed him in a squad.
> "It was very quiet, very professional," Giger said. "They didn't rough > him up. He wasn't violated in any way. ... If you weren't looking out > your window, you would have never known it happened. It was that > quiet."
> In addition to a motive for the killing, police said they were still > investigating how Potts spent the 18 or so hours after he allegedly > drove his car up the Statehouse's north driveway, got out, walked up > the steps, stuck a shotgun in the doorway and fired one shot at close > range that hit guard William Wozniak, 51, in the chest.
> Police believe that about an hour before he went to the Statehouse, > Potts stopped at Birds-N-Brooks Army Navy Surplus, 2641 S. Sixth St.
> A police report indicated he had walked in with a 12-gauge shotgun, > believed to be the same one he had allegedly stolen from the store > Sept. 14.
> He told an employee he wanted to do a "trade-in" for an assault rifle. > The employee said the owner was the one who handled trade-ins, so > owner Dale Patterson came out and reportedly recognized Potts as the > burglar from last week.
> According to the report, Potts repeated several times that he wanted > an assault rifle while allegedly pointing the shotgun at Patterson.
> Patterson went into his office and closed the door. Potts allegedly > fired once into the office, breaking a window on the office door. > Potts then left.
> Meanwhile, Patterson was getting a shotgun of his own. Patterson's > son, Dale Patterson II, 37, heard the commotion and grabbed a handgun.
> The younger Patterson went to check on his father. But the police > report indicated the father thought his son was Potts coming after > him, so the elder Patterson fired out the door, striking his son once > in the left shoulder.
> The son was released on Tuesday from St. John's Hospital.
> After the Capitol shooting, there were reports that Potts had gotten > some new clothes, possibly from a store, and then changed somewhere > near the Town & Country Shopping Center off MacArthur Boulevard. > Discarded clothing was found behind D'Arcy's Pint, a bar and > restaurant in the shopping center, police said.
> He also reportedly went into D'Arcy's on Monday afternoon.
> An employee confirmed Tuesday that Potts had been there and that > police were interviewing people there, but he declined to elaborate.
> Potts then reportedly went to another restaurant, Show-Me's, 3101 S. > MacArthur. A worker there said she heard about Potts coming in Monday > night, but she didn't know more.
> It was believed Potts did much of his traveling throughout the night > on foot. A car believed to be his was found and eventually towed away > from the Hickox Apartments, 631 S. Fourth St., where Potts had a room > on the second floor.
<nrud...@ncsa.uiuc.edu> wrote: >Thanks for the update. I heard on the news this morning that >he might be schizophrenic (sp???) and not taking his meds. >If that's true, the prosecutor said he might not seek the >death penalty.
Bi-polar & off his meds. Yeah, this guy is definitely not all there.
