PIKE COUNTY, Ill. — A normally quiet Pike County community was left reeling Thursday morning after a deadly shooting spree claimed three lives, including that of the gunman, and left one woman critically injured.
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Authorities have identified the suspected shooter as 67-year-old Gerald E. Waligorski of New Canton.
According to the Pike County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to a home in the 300 block of Mississippi Street around 6 a.m. after receiving reports of gunfire. At the scene, they discovered Waligorski’s wife suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite her condition, she told deputies that her husband had shot her and threatened her parents. She was airlifted to a nearby hospital and remains in critical care.
Deputies quickly checked her parents’ residence on Monroe Street, where both were found dead from gunshot wounds. Their identities are being withheld until relatives are notified.
The shootings triggered an intense manhunt. Authorities warned residents to shelter in place, and several schools, including Griggsville-Perry, Western School District, and Pikeland CUSD 10, were placed on soft lockdown as officers searched for the suspect.
Later in the day, SWAT officers executed a search warrant at Waligorski’s home, where he was found dead from what investigators believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. With his death confirmed, lockdown orders were lifted, and officials assured the public that there was no ongoing threat.
Sheriff’s Deputy Zach Orr described the incident as “devastating for the families and the community,” stressing that such violent acts are extremely rare in Pike County.
The Illinois State Police, working alongside the Pike County Sheriff’s Department, have taken charge of the homicide investigation. Officials said a motive has not been determined, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Community leaders and local organizations, including the Hull Kinderhook Fire Protection District, have expressed condolences to the victims’ families and commended the rapid response of law enforcement.
This tragedy has left the small community in mourning as residents come together to support the families impacted by the violence.