After Fatal Bridgeview Secretary Of State's Office Shooting, What's Being Done To Keep Customers Safe?
CHICAGO (CBS) -- There are new questions one day after a man was targeted by a shooter in a long line outside of a Secretary of State's office.
The shooting happened in front of many people who were waiting to go inside. So what's being done to cut down on crowds at the Bridgeview driver's facility?
CBS 2's Steven Graves reports it was supposed to be the site of a pilot program for appointments.
It was pegged as an online process to cut down on long lines. On Thursday, those lines returned with some uneasy customers.
On Thursday, Illinois Secretary of State Police posted outside of the Bridgeview facility. It's a day after suspects ambushed and shot Jawan Davis, as he stood waiting in a long line outside.
His attackers later drove off sparking a chase into a neighborhood.
"(We saw) a bunch of ambulances and police," said customer Erika Delgado.
Bridgeview police said it was a targeted attack and no one else in the line was in danger. But Erika Delgado can't help but be uneasy about returning Thursday.
"Just standing here, I'm just like concerned. Anybody could, like, come in and shoot up," Delgado said.
"The tragedy that did occur could have occurred anywhere. These places are very safe facilities, said Dave Druker of the Illinois Secretary of State's Office.
CBS 2 has covered long lines outside of offices since they opened during the pandemic. Some said the weather made it unsafe. Others pointed to lack of social distancing. The line at Bridgeview, again on Thursday, was long.
"They should really have a system going," Delgado said.
This even after officials told CBS 2 there was a pilot appointment program at the Bridgeview facility and at other suburban locations. Customers scan a QR code for a time, then come back later. No lines.
Bridgeview did it, but reverted back to long lines after ongoing tests and feedback.
"I can't say something specific about Bridgeview per say. But we do encounter situations where some people would prefer in some cases not to make appointments," Druker said.
Back in February, there was mixed reaction over the program at a site in Deerfield. Some loved it, others had trouble navigating the Secretary of State's website. Leaders said they would rather open offices and explore options than close.
Right now, they're testing out the system at four locations.
"We're still in the learning stages. These four locations, I suspect we're going to learn a lot," Druker said.
Those four sites are Woodstock, Midlothian, Melrose Park, and Lake Zurich. Chicago initially was slated to come on board by the end of the month. That timeline is now unclear.
