Senator Cappel's Accused House Shooter Captured, Shorewood Police Reveal Who Intended Target Was

SHOREWOOD, IL —Shorewood Police Chief Phil Arnold issued a press release Wednesday evening revealing that his agency has solved this week's early morning shootings of two different homes, one of which belonged to Shorewood Democratic State Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel.

Dana Thompson, 32, of Hammond, Indiana, is now in the Will County Jail charged with two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, two crimes of unlawful use of a weapon and one aggravated possession of a firearm in a vehicle.

According to the chief's press release, video evidence obtained from several residences in the area and through license plate reader (LPR) technology, officers identified the vehicle used during the incidents and Thompson was the driver and shooter.

The last known location of Thompson’s vehicle Tuesday morning, based on LPR data, was in Lansing, Illinois, the chief revealed.

"Within 30 minutes, Lansing PD advised us that they had located both the vehicle and Thompson. The vehicle was towed and Thompson transported to Shorewood PD," Arnold explained. "During the interview that followed, Thompson admitted to committing the shootings and told officers several times that her intended target was a relative that lives in the area."

Thompson's relative was not residing at either home that was hit by gunfire, police said. Asked if Thompson went to Cappel's house by mistake, Arnold told Joliet Patch's editor, "Exactly."

Investigators from Shorewood determined the address of the relative and an interview with that relative confirmed the relationship and their subsequent multi-year estrangement, according to the chief.

"It must be noted that this incident was NOT a politically motivated event in any way, and that Thompson was not at the house she intended to target," Arnold emphasized, referring to the state senator's home being hit by gunfire.

Shortly before Shorewood police issued a press release to announce the Indiana woman's arrest and felony charges, State Representative Harry Benton, Democrat from Plainfield, sent out a press release calling for peace and expressing support for the senator. Benton and Loughran Cappel jointly serve the Joliet, Plainfield, Shorewood area in Springfield, his press release noted.

“Senator Loughran Cappel and her family are in my thoughts today as they deal with this violation of their safety and peace of mind. Thankfully, nobody was hurt, and Shorewood’s law enforcement acted swiftly to restore peace and safety to the community,” Benton said. “With tensions on the rise, and expressions of hatred and violence becoming sadly common, it’s important for all of us to focus on respect, civility and the human dignity we all share. Violence like this is never justified, and always counterproductive. It’s up to all of us to stand together and work out our problems peacefully. That’s the American way.”