Illinois quick hits: Paintball attacks at U of Chicago; beware deer crossings
Campus police wanr of paintball attacks at U of Chicago
The University of Chicago Police Department has issued a safety warning following several incidents of pedestrians becoming targets of paintball attacks on campus.
Campus authorities said multiple cars have been involved, including silver, red and black sedans. Detectives are investigating the attacks and are conducting campus patrols. No one is in custody.
State agencies: Beware deer crossings
The Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois Department of Natural Resources are reminding motorists to be alert for deer, which are entering their peak active season, especially at dawn and dusk now through December.
In 2022, there were over 14,000 crashes involving deer in Illinois. Of those, 629 caused injuries and four of the crashes resulted in fatalities. If a collision is inevitable, officials say don’t veer. Try to glance your vehicle off the deer and avoid swerving into the opposite lanes of traffic or off the road.
The top three Illinois counties for crashes involving deer are Cook, Madison and McHenry counties.
Exotic wildcat on loose in Macon County
Authorities in Macon County are warning the public about an unusual animal that is on the loose in the Decatur area. Macon County Animal Control says there is a serval roaming on the northeast side of the city, and they are working with an exotic animal expert to capture it.
Servals are wildcats native to Africa that have golden fur and black spots. The animal is considered dangerous and people should not interact with it if found.
