Two men were killed and another was injured in a shooting at the Kankakee County Courthouse Thursday morning, according to the Kankakee Police Department.
Two people were arrested after the attack at the south side entrance of the courthouse near the detention center, Police Chief Robin Passwater said in an afternoon news conference. He said there was no longer a threat to the community.
Officers responded to a call of gunfire around 9:15 a.m. near the courthouse, Passwater said. As police arrived, an officer arrested one person who was armed with a weapon, he said. A second person was arrested by sheriff’s deputies while leaving the scene.
The two people killed in the shooting were men in their 20s, Passwater said. A third man was undergoing surgery at a hospital.
“Multiple firearms” were recovered from the scene, including one “long gun,” Passwater said.
Several law enforcement agencies were offering support in the investigation, including Illinois State Police, the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service, he said.
Passwater said the shooting happened during a busy time of the day when many people were entering and exiting the courthouse, which will remain closed for the rest of the day. He encouraged witnesses to come forward with information as police investigated the circumstances of the shooting.
Buildings near the shooting were on lockdown as a precaution, the city said, but later reported that the area was secure.
Passwater did not take questions from reporters and said another update would be provided later Thursday.
