Crash, in which 4 girls were killed in the Illinois After-School Camp, probably no “targeted attack,” says the police

The death of three children and an adult teenager, when a vehicle was canceled from a road in Illinois to a post -school camp, was probably not the result of a targeted attack, the police said on Tuesday.

Illinois State Police, who examined the tragedy in the village of Chatham, said the driver was not in custody because the detectives were waiting for the results of toxicology tests.

“The cause of the crash continues to be examined, but this does not seem to be a targeted attack,” said the state police in a statement on Tuesday.

The driver and sole resident of the vehicle was identified as a 44-year-old Marianne Akers from Chatham, who, according to the state police's declaration, was “for the evaluation” to the hospital, but was otherwise unharmed. It was not clear whether it was released.

Akers was an employee of Food Services, who most recently worked in Ball Chatham School District in November 2022, said the district.

The victims became Britton as Rylee, 18; Ainsley Johnson, 8; Alma Buhnerkempe, 7; And Kathryn Corley, 7, all declared dead at the scene, said Sangamon County's forensic doctor, Jim Allmon, in an explanation on Tuesday.

Ball Chatham schools said all four were district students.

“In times like these, it is important that we base ourselves together for strength and support,” said the district in an explanation.

Six other children were injured and hospitalized, one in a critical condition, said the state police.

A spokesman for the hospital's health system indicated that all six were brought to St. John's Hospital before one was treated and released, and the remaining five were transferred to the St. Johns Children's Hospital, a pediatric trauma center.

Jamie Loftus, founder of Ynot Outdoors Summer Camp & After School, said in a statement on Tuesday that the collision was a “non -proper tragedy”.

According to Loftus, the camp's security video recorded the crash: a large, accelerated SUV hit the east wall of the Ynot building at around 3:20 p.m. and left west before it was set against a power supply rod.

“It traveled through a 78 hectare farm field, in which the security cameras dealt with our building at high speed,” said Loftus. “Without an obvious attempt to change his direction, the vehicle crossed North Breckenridge and the sidewalk and drove to our parking lot and the east wall of our building.”

Jamie and Mitzi Loftus, residents of the nearby Springfield, founded the camp in 2002 to keep the children active in the summer and stimulate their thoughts, according to the camp's website.

Jamie Loftus, to say families of the victims, “hurt very, very, very badly hurt, asked the people to keep an eye on them, but” give them space and respect “.