Authorities confirmed that an off-duty Kane County sheriff's deputy was involved in a fatal shooting in Elgin on Monday afternoon, but the circumstances and the dead person's identity remain unconfirmed one day later.
Rodney Hunter was back in his barbershop on Tuesday, trying to carry on as normal. But he is clearly struggling.
"I didn't know how it happened or what had happened. I just knew there was a body in front of my business, and it was scary. So, I came in, I checked everything out. I couldn't even sleep last night. Getting that sight out of your mind, and people asking what happened at the barber shop," Hunter said.
Witnesses say it was around 4:30 p.m. Monday when they heard gunshots near or at a Mobil Gas Station located at the intersection of National and Walnut. The next thing they saw was someone dead on the ground.
"I was in my house, and I hear three gunshots. And I see in my window, and I see one man with a gun," one witness said.
The Kane County State's Attorney's Office confirmed Tuesday that the person who fired the fatal shots is an off-duty Kane County sheriff's deputy. The office has yet to explain the circumstances surrounding the shooting, saying in a statement earlier that "investigators want to ensure all facts of the case remain intact during this crucial investigation, and updates to the public will be provided when possible."
And while the person killed has not been identified, Amy Sanchez, a former classmate, stopped by on Tuesday, still trying to make sense of what happened.
"We knew each other since sophomore year. We just graduated together. Just in May, we just walked together," Sanchez said. "I wanted to see it for myself. A couple of my friends were on the scene yesterday. Everybody is posting about it."
Kane County State's Attorney Jamie L. Mosser met with members of the Kane County Major Crimes Task Force on Tuesday afternoon for a preliminary review of the evidence collected related to the shooting.
Mosser said the investigation into the shooting could take months.