The Springfield Police Department has confirmed that 46-year-old Nicholas J. Kammueller of Rochester, Illinois is in custody after a shooting at the scene of a traffic accident left a man dead on Tuesday evening.
According to SPD, at 9:13 PM on April 1st, an officer responded to a car accident near the 2000 block of North Dirksen Parkway, just south of the East Sangamon Avenue intersection. Shortly after their arrival, the responding officer reported hearing gunfire nearby; witnesses alerted the officer that a man had been shot multiple times near the drive-through area of the 2100 N. Dirksen McDonald’s. There, the aforementioned victim was found with numerous gunshot wounds. The shooting suspect – Kammueller – was shortly thereafter apprehended and taken into custody.
The victim was rushed to HSHS St. John’s Hospital, but did not survive his injuries. Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon on Wednesday afternoon identified him as Jerald P. Fahey of Springfield. Mr. Fahey was 51 years old. Preliminary findings from the autopsy list the gunshots as the cause of death.
The incident remains under investigation by police, but SPD confirmed that they have a rough understanding of the timeline of events: the suspect, Kammueller, was involved in a crash with an unnamed woman near the scene. The woman called the shooting victim, who then traveled to the crash site to make sure she was safe; then at some point after his arrival the suspect is believed to have shot the victim.
Nicholas J. Kammueller was arrested by police for first degree murder, aggravated discharge of a firearm, driving under the influence, and carrying a concealed firearm while intoxicated.
More information will be provided as it becomes available.
