Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica is an outspoken, high-profile politician, and suburban police said Thursday that whoever fired gunshots in his neighborhood likely targeted his home but missed.
Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica is an outspoken, high-profile politician, and suburban police said Thursday that whoever fired gunshots in his neighborhood likely targeted his home but missed. Officers have recovered seven bullets that struck the house next door to Peraica’s on a secluded residential street in the Chicago suburb of Riverside, Police Chief Thomas Weitzel said. No one was hurt. Police believe Peraica’s house may have been the shooter’s focus because an investigation has so far not revealed reasons why anyone else would have been targeted, Weitzel said. "Was it meant as a signal or an intimidation? Probably," he said. Whoever did it might have had a beef with Peraica because of his work on the county commission or been a disgruntled client because Peraica, an attorney, has an active law practice, Weitzel said. Peraica said he had not received any threats of violence before the Wednesday incident. "I refuse to live in fear of anyone who acts in this kind of manner to try to intimidate me," he said. Police have stepped up patrols in Peraica’s neighborhood. Authorities have no suspects, but a witness reported seeing a dark color, four-door vehicle with a loud muffler leaving the scene after the shots were heard, Weitzel said. Officers first responded to Peraica’s neighborhood after getting reports of shots fired early Wednesday morning. But officers cleared the call after finding nothing. About 12 hours later, Peraica’s neighbor reported bullets found at their home. Weitzel said two were embedded in the front door, one bounced off the front door and lay in front of it, and four others were found just inside the curtains. They appear to have come from a small-caliber handgun. Residents didn’t even realize a shooting had taken place, Weitzel said. Neither did Peraica, who said he heard popping noises. "I didn’t realize these were gunshots," he said. Because no shell casings were found, detectives suspect the gun was fired from inside a vehicle. ______ Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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