Plano shooting victim identified as 70-year-old man – Shaw Local

A 70-year-old man has been identified as the victim in a shooting Friday night in the 3800 block of Pratt Court in Plano.

The victim was identified by the Kendall County Coroner’s Office as Russell Novak, according to a joint news release from the Plano Police Department, the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office and the Kendall County Coroner’s Office.

Novak had multiple gunshot wounds. A forensic autopsy is scheduled for Monday.

Meanwhile, Illinois State Police continue to investigate the officer-involved shooting of the suspect following a chase that ended near the intersection of Route 34 and Eola Road in Aurora. Shortly before 6:45 p.m. Friday, deputies with the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Plano Police Department with a report of a possible home invasion in which shots were fired in the 3800 block of Pratt Court, the release said.

Responding officers from the Plano Police Department discovered a car believed to be related to the incident shortly after arriving in the area. Plano officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused to stop, according to the release.

A chase involving multiple law enforcement agencies began and ended near the intersection of Route 34 and Eola Road in Aurora, where deputies and officers from multiple law enforcement agencies encountered a person exiting the car armed with a firearm, says the press release. The individual allegedly pointed the firearm at a deputy, after which the deputy and a Plano officer fired their firearms to protect those in the area and themselves, the release said.

Relief workers and officials immediately provided medical assistance on site. According to the news release, the person was taken to Rush Copley Hospital in Aurora, where he was pronounced deceased.

No police officers were injured. There is no known specific ongoing threat to the community, authorities said.

Kendall County Sheriff Dwight Baird and Plano Police Chief Norm Allison called the situation tragic, but both expressed support for law enforcement’s response to the incident.

“First and foremost, the loss of a human life is tragic, and my thoughts are with her friends and loved ones as they mourn this terrible loss,” Baird said in the news release. “I believe that transparency is crucial and an independent, third-party investigation is absolutely necessary. That’s why I hired the Illinois State Police to conduct this investigation. I would also like to say that I am extremely proud of the way my deputies and surrounding law enforcement officers responded to this incident. I’m grateful they responded quickly and put themselves in harm’s way to protect our community.”

Allison echoed those comments.

“This is a tragic situation for everyone involved,” he said in the press release. “As this is a multi-jurisdictional incident, numerous police resources are being deployed to ensure the highest level of professionalism and thoroughness in the investigation. Personally, I am proud of the officers and deputies who attempted to take life-saving measures for the victims and even put themselves in harm’s way at short notice to protect the public.”