‘Our hearts go out to the families’ Sycamore city officials address recent fires, shootings which left four dead

SYCAMORE – During Monday’s Sycamore City Council meeting, city officials addressed three recent incidents that have plagued the city in the past two weeks and left four people dead.

There were two fatal residential fires that occurred Friday and Saturday nights leaving two Sycamore men dead, and a shooting in an apartment above Fence Sales of Sycamore in the 1800 block of Coltonville Road Sunday, Feb. 21 during which a Shabbona mother was shot to death and her son died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the DeKalb County Coroner’s Office. The details of all three incidents remain under investigation.

Fire Chief Peter Polarek discussed the recent fires with the city council.

“Our hearts go out to the families of both of the victims,” Polarek said. “The complexity of both of these incidents are very challenging and they quickly overwhelm our modest resources. However, we have support mechanisms and are grateful for the valued assistance of our police department, along with our fire mutual aid partners. Without them, we can’t be as successful as we are.”

Newly appointed Acting City Manager Maggie Peck began the meeting by thanking Sycamore’s first responders.

“I just want to send a special thank you out to our team of emergency responders for what was a very difficult weekend for our community,” she said.

Peck was appointed after former City Manager Brian Gregory resigned to become DeKalb County Administrator.

A Sycamore man in his 60s died during a late Saturday night fire at a duplex in the 300 block of West Exchange Street, confirmed DeKalb County Coroner Dennis Miller Sunday. And on Saturday, another man, of the 900 block of Arvle Circle, was pronounced dead at OSF St. Anthony Hospital in Rockford after he was transported from a residential fire in Sycamore Friday night.

Authorities have not yet identified either of the men who died in the fires over the weekend.

The next City of Sycamore City Council meeting will be held 7 p.m. March 15. The meetings are held in person in the Council Chambers of the Sycamore Center, located at 308 W. State St., and online via Zoom. Agendas and meeting minutes are posted online on the city’s website.

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