Police respond to “mass casualty incident” in rural Illinois community

from: John Clark, Jeremy Tanner

Posted: June 12, 2024 / 3:52 p.m. EDT

Updated: June 12, 2024 / 3:52 p.m. EDT

DIXON, Ill. (WTVO) – Police responded Wednesday to what authorities are calling a “mass casualty incident” in a rural area of ​​northern Illinois.

Reports of a shooting prompted police to respond to the Lost Lake gated community near Dixon around 12 p.m.

According to Chief of Staff Nancy Varga, three victims were taken to KSB Hospital.

Multiple agencies, including the Ogle County Sheriff and first responders from Dixon, Oregon, Mount Morris and Polo, were called to the scene.

The Ogle County Sheriff calls the situation a “critical incident” and confirms that shots were fired.

At 3:30 p.m. the police will hold a press conference

Aerial footage from local media Wednesday afternoon showed police and private vehicles parked on the side of dirt roads throughout the neighborhood, with officers occasionally gathering in small groups, but there was little activity. At least one driveway was cordoned off with yellow police tape, and an Ogle County Sheriff’s mobile dispatch center was stationed at the end of the driveway.

The Lost Lake Homeowners Association describes the area as a “country-style community” of about 700 homeowners in an unincorporated area near the cities of Dixon, Franklin Grove and Oregon, about 105 miles west of Chicago.

This is a developing story; The Associated Press contributed to this report.