One Dead, Three Injured in Shoot-out
ALTON, IL—One man was found dead and three people were injured in what police are describing as a bizarre revenge-love triangle shooting at a secluded boat access on the Mississippi River, one mile north of Alton, Illinois. William Thomas Ballard, a former resident of Ladue, was pronounced dead at the scene. Ballard suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Three other people were taken to St. Anthony’s Hospital in Alton. Johnny Ray Chambers was admitted with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He is in guarded condition. Sheila Lowenstein suffered a broken collarbone and other injuries. Kiki Lowenstein was found with a gunshot wound to the temple. Both women are in stable condition. A fourth person, Brenda Detweiler, was taken into custody and charged with attempted murder and kidnapping.
Off-duty East St. Louis policeman, Sergeant Bradley Wiberg, was birdwatching with another off-duty policeman, Corporal Greg Leljedal, when the two men heard gunshots. “My doctor recommended I find a peaceful hobby. Greg was stressed out, too, so we decided to take up birdwatching. When we heard the shots, I turned my binoculars toward the sound. Greg rowed us closer and we quickly realized we’d stumbled upon a crime scene.”
After notifying the Alton authorities and requesting help, Wiberg and Leljedal climbed out of their boat and approached Brenda Detweiler. “We were unable to prevent her from shooting Mrs. Kiki Lowenstein. However, our appearance caused her to run for it. Mr. Chambers was already on the ground and bleeding. Mr. Ballard’s head was blown off. Mrs. Sheila Lowenstein was injured, unconscious in the bottom of a boat. We applied first aid to Mr. Chambers and both women,” said Leljedal.
Illinois police apprehended Mrs. Detweiler as she was driving Highway 64–40 back to St. Louis.
Wiberg and Leljedal plan to take up another hobby.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Larry Elliott of Executive Defense Technology, LLC, for explaining how the justice system handles parolees. Visit him at www.execdeftech.com. My pal Alan Orloff helped me with a sticky plot point. Sally Lippert and my sister, Jane Campbell, explained to me UTI symptoms in the elderly. Al Hallonquist talked me through what police procedures were likely to be in the event of a sniper attack. My tai chi friend Margit Hanna was kind enough to share her recipe for plum kuchen.
A big shout out to The Mystery Book Club that meets at the Barnes & Noble in Fenton, as well as Deborah Horn and Lynn Oris, booksellers extraordinaire. A bouquet of virtual flowers to Lane Carlée, who won both character naming privileges and my armadillo vase in an auction to benefit the Boynton Beach City Library. Kathy Berberich and Pat Davis deserve kudos for all the work they do for Make-A-Wish Foundation. Mega-thanks to Wendy Jo and Angela, two of my great Fiskateer friends.
Jane Campbell, Paula Dear, Shirley Helmly, Judge Bill Hopkins, and Sharon Hopkins were kind enough to help proofread this book. Big thanks to Connie Hill, my wonderful editor. Any mistakes here are mine.
For caregivers or adult children of the elderly, I suggest the book Coping with Your Difficult Older Parent: A Guide for Stressed-Out Children by Grace Lebow and Barbara Kane with Irwin Lebow. If you have a family member with a terminal illness, contact your local hospice. Hospice workers are angels who walk among us.
About the Author
Joanna Campbell Slan is a scrapbooker who has written seven technique books on the hobby. In fact, she loves crafts of all kinds. She is the author of twelve nonfiction books, including a college textbook, and her essays appear in five of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Joanna lives on Jupiter Island, Florida. Visit Joanna at: www.JoannaSlan.com.
Author photo by Glamour Shots
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