TROY, Ill. – Troy police announced a suspect was taken into custody soon after officers responded to an early morning shooting that left one woman dead. Police said the suspect was standing at the apartment door with his hands over his head.
“I was just kind of in shock,” said Laura Fechte, a neighbor. “I couldn’t believe it.”
The victim’s body was found inside a townhouse apartment unit in the 2100 block of Tramore. She had been shot several times. Police attempted to render lifesaving measures before EMS arrived, but those efforts were not successful.
“You wouldn’t think something like that could happen here,” Fechte said.
Cynthia Bennet, founder and executive director of JADASA, believes domestic violence has escalated in recent years. The community-based organization provides education and support for families facing domestic violence.
“This is a community epidemic, and we’re going to have to come together and just work together,” Bennett said.
She hopes anyone seeing signs of abuse will say something and wants everyone to know resources are available. Bennett says anyone can remain anonymous when calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
Bennett said her heart goes out to the victim’s family. She predicts her loss and the suspect’s arrest will have a ripple effect throughout the community.
“Anybody that has had some type of social interaction or contact with them, it is going to affect them,” Bennett said.
Police have not yet released the identity of the victim. Criminal charges have yet to be announced.
