Man in custody after woman shot, killed at south suburban apartment complex, officials say

MORRIS, Ill. (WLS) -- A woman is dead and a man is in custody after police responded to a shooting at an apartment complex in south suburban Morris Thursday afternoon, according to officials.

The community of Morris can now take a sigh of relief after many tense hours as police searched for the gunman.

Police responded to the 500 block of Twilight Drive and asked people in the area to shelter in place while they searched for the gunman.

"A police officer kind of waved to us and he said, 'Just stay there, and came down and said, We have an active shooter. Just remain inside,'" said Mike Ryerson, who lives nearby.

Several agencies assisted, officials said.

Police were able to track down the suspect from license plate reader technology that was installed at the entrance and exit of the community just one month ago.

"What it is is just a great response by not just our committee and the Grundy County sheriff's department, but the surrounding communities, as well," said Stan Knudson, with the City of Morris.

Using flock camera technology, officers were able to track the suspect leaving the scene of the shooting at an apartment complex off Twilight Drive around 4:30 p.m. and entering another nearby community.

"And then was being tracked through several cameras, catching him at intersections and they were able to close in," Knudson said.

Neighbors are saying how rare it is for something like this to happen here.

"It surprised me that it happened. I mean, I grew up in Chicago and on the South Side of Chicago, that was nothing. But here, this is a very nice area," said Paul Wagner, who also lived nearby.

"There has been an uptick in violent incidents lately which has always been very unusual for Morris," Ryerson added.

The woman shot has died from her injuries, according to the Grundy County Coroner. Her identity has not yet been released.

It's unclear if the victim and suspect had any relationship, but police said there is no longer any threat to the public and the investigation is ongoing.