Joliet DCFS mum why office still closed after shooting

JOLIET — The Joliet office for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is still closed almost a week after a shooting that damaged its windows.

On Thursday, the front door to the DCFS Joliet office, 1619 W. Jefferson St., was still locked and a sign on the door still said the office was closed. Some of the windows were still boarded up from gunshot damage.

The windows were damaged by suspected gunfire, according to Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English. About 2:22 a.m. Saturday, officers found shots had been fired, he said.

Officers recovered multiple spent shell casings in the parking lot, English said. No one was injured, he said.

No arrests have been made, English said. He declined to share further details as to what happened.

In a statement, DCFS spokesman Bill McCaffrey said, “Out of an abundance of caution, the Joliet office is currently closed.” He did not elaborate on why the office was staying closed out of caution.

In a phone interview on Thursday, McCaffrey refused to explain why the office was still closed.

McCaffrey said DCFS workers from the Joliet office are “still performing their jobs and following the remote worker protocols that were established during the pandemic.”

“DCFS workers can still meet with the children and families they serve at a different DCFS field office,” McCaffrey said.

The DCFS directory of regional and field offices did not show any other offices in Will County besides the one in Joliet.

Two other offices closest to Joliet are the ones at 8 E. Galena Boulevard in Aurora and 1250 Bond St. in Naperville.

The DCFS office is located in a plaza known as Jefferson Centre, which is owned by developer John Bays of Bays Investment Corporation.

Bays said DCFS officials have not told him when their office will open.