HILLSBORO, Ill. (WAND) – A shooting at a church in Hillsboro left a woman in critical condition, police said.
Before 11 a.m. Friday, police came to the scene of a car crash at the Fairground Avenue and Seymour Avenue intersection. When they arrived, neighbors were assisting a woman who had been shot.
Hillsboro Police Chief Randy Leetham said someone shot the woman at Hillsboro Free Methodist Church, which can be found three blocks south of the crash. As of 4:30 p.m. Friday, her condition was critical but stable.
He said the suspect, 69-year-old David L. Chesser, came to the church a half hour after the woman went to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield and tried to get in while possessing a handgun. Police placed nearby Beckemeyer School on lockdown as they responded to the church and arrested Chesser. At the time, the school was preparing to send students home.
Chesser is from the Litchfield area.
Authorities are continuing to investigate Friday evening.
