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UPDATE: Police Broaden Search Efforts as Manhunt Continues Wednesday
A vigil is scheduled for Wednesday evening in Fox Lake to remember Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz as police continue search for 3 suspects.
A manhunt will continue Wednesday for three suspects accused in the shooting death of Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz, a veteran police officer with the Fox Lake Police Department.
A search for three suspects got underway after Gliniewicz was found fatally shot Tuesday in Fox Lake. Gliniewicz lost communications with dispatch during a foot pursuit with the the suspects shortly before 8 a.m. at Route 12 and Sayton Road in Fox Lake. His backup officer arrived on scene to find Gliniewicz with a gunshot wound. Gliniewicz died at the scene.
Following the shooting, numerous local law enforcement officers from northern Illinois, 48 K9 units, six air-support units, the Illinois State Police and multiple local and federal SWAT teams, Covelli said. FBI agents, ATF and U.S. Marshals were also helping to track down the suspects.
“The suspects were not located after a 14-hour exhaustive search,” Lake County Sheriff’s Office Detective Christopher Covelli told Patch early Wednesday morning.
Police dealt with extreme heat and the emotional toll of searching for suspects accused of killing one of their own.
“It’s a hard day in law enforcement whenever we are faced with something like this,” Covelli said Wednesday. “But everyone presses on and are doing their part to seek justice.”
The three suspects are considered armed and dangerous. Police are looking for three males -- two white and one black. Police do not have a further description and Covelli said he could not comment on whether there were any witnesses to the shooting.
After focusing on a two-mile square radius Tuesday, the search area will be broadened Wednesday and the Lake County Major Crime Task Force will be heading the investigation moving forward
The Fox Lake Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Illinois State Police will focus on using saturation patrols to keep a watch out for the offenders and will be checking on any suspicious activity, Covelli said. The upped efforts are also meant to ”let the community know we are out here to keep them safe,” he added. There will be an increased police presence at all area schools.
“There is some uneasiness and rightfully so,” Covelli said Wednesday morning.
The Illinois State Police have deployed multiple resources to assist the Fox Lake Police Department Wednesday. The state police’s patrol, investigations, SWAT, air operations and various other investigative support units were on the scene this morning to assist with the continued search.
Anyone with any information regarding the shooting or the suspects is encouraged to dial 911 or contact Lake County Sheriff’s office at 847-549-5200 immediately. All tips and leads from the community can also be directed to the Fox Lake Police Department at 847-587-3100
Vigil Scheduled for Wednesday Evening
A vigil is scheduled for Wednesday evening in Fox Lake as the community mourns the death Gliniewicz. The vigil is set for 6 p.m. at Lakefront Park, 71 Nippersink Blvd. in Fox Lake.
“The outpouring of support for Joe and for the Fox Lake Police Department from residents has given us all the strength to carry on during a very sad time in Fox Lake,” said Fox Lake Mayor Donny Schmit. “Tonight, we will all gather as one community to show Joe’s family how much he was loved and how much he will be missed.”
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The death of Gliniewicz, a 30-year veteran of the Fox Lake Police Department, ”has left a large void in our community,” according to a Wednesday morning press release from the village of Fox Lake, a small community of 10,000 in northern Illinois. Gliniewicz was married and the father of four.
Gliniewicz, an Antioch High School graduate, joined the Fox Lake Police Department as a patrol officer in 1985. He was promoted to sergeant in 1994 and again promoted to his most-recent rank of lieutenant in 2006.
He is remembered as a “shining example of what it means to be a public servant,” according to the Fox Lake news release. He went by the nickname of ”G.I. Joe” and served as a SWAT team member, evidence technician, K9 handler and range supervisor. During his career, he received several commendations and awards, including the Medal of Valor and a life-saving award.
Gliniewicz is also known for his work with the Fox Lake Explorer Post--an organization that he built over the past 30 years of his career, the Daily Herald reports. Over the years, Gliniewicz and his wife, Mel, helped make the local Explorers unit a nationally known program.
Gliniewicz is retired as a first sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve, according to Reuters.
Funeral arrangements for Gliniewicz are pending.
Schools Close as Manhunt Continues
Several schools in the Fox Lake area were closed Wednesday.
The schools include: Fox Lake Grade School, Gavin Central School, Big Hollow Middle School, Grant Community High School, Lotus School, Stanton Middle School and St. Bede Catholic School.
Schools throughout the area were put on soft lockdown Tuesday, including schools in McHenry, Woodstock and Grayslake. McHenry School District 15 planned to return to normal operating procedures Wednesday, according to the school district’s website.
Grayslake Central High School cancelled all athletic events “both home and away” Tuesday evening. Golf was cancelled for Wednesday but all other school operations were expected to “proceeds as normal,” according to the high school’s website.
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