Questions remain as business owners regroup after fatal Juneteenth party shooting

Bullet holes and shattered glass Tuesday provided grim reminders of Sunday’s deadly shooting near Willowbrook as Somerset Plaza shop owners returned to their businesses.

The strip mall, at Honeysuckle Rose Lane and Kingery Road, has been closed since a crowded Juneteenth celebration erupted in gunfire just after midnight Sunday. Reginald Meadows, a 31-year-old father of two, was killed and 22 other people were injured.

No arrests have been made. On Tuesday, DuPage County Undersheriff Edmond Moore said the sheriff’s office and the county’s major crimes task force are “working diligently to pursue all leads” and extended condolences.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Mr. Meadows as well as the victims of this tragedy,” Moore said.

The gathering, publicized on social media, drew hundreds. It remains unclear if the property owner gave permission for the event or if organizers needed a county permit to host it. County officials, however, confirmed Tuesday that no one applied for a permit.

Ausrine Schneider, whose dental office is in the strip mall, said the Saturday night event was not the first, and she has expressed concern to the property management company about large gatherings in the parking lot.

“I am terrified,” she said, noting she cried when she heard about the shooting. “But mostly, I’m upset that it was allowed.”

Calls to Rossi Real Estate, a Downers Grove company that owns the property, were not returned Tuesday.

During Tuesday’s judicial and public safety committee meeting, DuPage County Board member Liz Chaplin also raised concerns about Sheriff James Mendrick’s response, noting he has not answered any questions about the shootings.

“This is the person responsible for the unincorporated areas of DuPage County,” Chaplin said. “His absence is noticed.”

A spokesman for the sheriff’s office did not return calls for comment Tuesday.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20230620/questions-remain-as-business-owners-regroup-after-fatal-juneteenth-party-shooting