The Crest Hill Police Department released images captured on security cameras in the area of the shooting that happened along Theodore Street on Tuesday.
Police are asking people who live in the area, 600 block of Theodore Street, to check their security cameras if they have them.
Merichka’s Restaurant in Crest Hill closed Tuesday afternoon after gunfire was exchanged outside the restaurant.
No one at the restaurant was hurt, but the restaurant closed because of the incident, said Ryan George, a manager at Merichka’s.
“We closed for the day,” George said. “We’ll be open tomorrow.”
George said the incident happened at about 1 p.m. It involved an exchange of gunfire from people who “stopped at the corner of the building and fired shots across Theodore Street.”
The gunfire involved others who were in a parking lot of a strip mall on the other side of Theodore Street across from Merichka’s.
Bullets hit the restaurant in the incident.
“A couple of our windows did get hit, and the siding got hit a couple of times,” said Joe Zdralevich, another manager at the restaurant.
Zdralevich said management hoped “to be back to normal when it comes to business tomorrow.”
Merichka’s sits on the Crest Hill side of Theodore Street. The strip mall on the other side of Theodore is in Joliet.
Joliet police said two businesses and two unoccupied cars were hit on the Joliet side of the street. They said police found 40 spent shell casings on the scene. No people were shot, according to a statement from Crest Hill police.
The incident happened at about 1:10 p.m., police said.
“Several rounds struck businesses on both the north and south side of Theodore Street,” according to the Crest Hill police statement.
Envisions Salon and Ascendant Iron on the Joliet side of the street were hit, according to a statement from Joliet police.
According to Joliet police, three male suspects on that side of the street swapped gunfire with gunmen on the Crest Hill side of Theodore.
“The three suspects are believed to have fled the area in a light-colored sport utility vehicle,” Joliet police said in a statement.
Police from both Crest Hill and Joliet are investigating the shooting, according to a statement from Crest Hill police.
“We are looking for a handgun used in the shooting and believed one of suspects dropped it in the area,” Crest Hill police said.
Anyone who finds a firearm is instructed not to touch it and to contact Crest Hill police immediately.
Anyone with video of the incident also is asked to call Crest Hill police at 815-741-5115.
The Joliet Police Department Investigation Division can also be contacted at 815-724-3020. Will County Crime Stoppers can be reached at 800-323-6734