No injuries following multiple shots fired near University Village, DeKalb police say

DeKALB – DeKalb police are continuing to investigate reports of gunfire near University Village from Wednesday night, and DeKalb Police Chief David Byrd said Thursday no arrests have been made in connection.

At 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, DeKalb police sent out a text alert saying they were investigating reports of “shots fired in the 900 block of Crane Drive.” In the alert, they also urged residents to “avoid the area” and to “please call with information if known.”

Byrd said midday Thursday the incident was reported to police about an hour before the alert went out. He said the incident involved “multiple rounds” of gun bullets that were “all of one caliber” being shot at a vehicle in an apartment complex parking lot, damaging the vehicle’s exterior.

“There were no injuries,” Byrd said. “There’s no one of interest at this point that we have identified as of yet.”

Byrd said as of Thursday there have been no suspects or people of interest identified in connection with the incident, nor have there been any related arrests.

“Right now, we’re still doing a video canvas just to see what comes of that,” meaning police currently are soliciting neighborhood video surveillance footage, Byrd said. “ … But right now, [the investigation] is in the preliminary stages.”

Northern Illinois University police also issued a safety warning Wednesday about shots being fired at 10:24 p.m. off campus, near Moraine Terrace and Russell Road.

“The suspect fled northbound by vehicle from the area,” NIU police wrote in the alert. “Please avoid or take necessary precautions while in the area.”

Byrd said NIU’s alert is describing the same as the incident reportedly in the 900 block of Crane Drive. Regardless, this was the only shooting incident recorded Wednesday night by DeKalb police, he said.

Byrd said it’s unclear to police at this time whether the shooting was gang-related, adding officers “don’t have any information like that as of yet.” However, he said “this wasn’t a random shooter” and there is “no danger to the public.”

“This was something that was isolated in the parking lot area,” Byrd said. “We believe this was targeted, but we just don’t know the particulars.”

Byrd said he “can’t say with confidence” at this time how many total people were involved in the incident or whether there was more than one shooter with the same caliber guns.

“The only thing that I can say with confidence is that there were multiple shots fired … and there were multiple defects in the vehicle.”