Tragedy shows need for vigilance

On Aug. 27, the Daily Herald reported the murder of Jennifer Gustafson-Ferrigan in her Hanover Park home. Her husband, who had a shootout with police and is hospitalized recovering from his wounds, is considered a person of interest in this crime. The tragic news of the murder has brought domestic violence into the local spotlight for a time. Sadness and shock is the reaction of all who have read the headlines or watched the news reports.

Many have wondered how this could happen in their community, especially since Gustafson-Ferrigan had been proactive in the last few weeks of her life in ensuring her safety. She communicated her fears to the police, obtained an order of protection against her husband and established a daily routine of well-being checks from her friends. Sadly, it was a well-being check that went unanswered that led to the discovery of Gustafson-Ferrigan’s murder.

As the executive director of Family Shelter Service, a Wheaton-based domestic violence social service agency, I know that Gustafson-Ferrigan did everything she could to be safe; she did everything domestic violence professionals advise our clients to do when they feel that their lives are in danger. Her tragic fate is one we have seen a few times in our 35-year history: The life of a woman who asked for all the help available was taken before first responders could reach her.

We must reflect on what could be done differently, but one certainty is that domestic violence remains an urgent issue, one our community cannot ignore. Our service remains committed to our emergency shelter, 24-hour hotline and court advocacy programs, which serve over 2,000 women and children each year. And we are reminded by the recent tragedy that we can never be complacent when working daily with issues of life and death.

Karen Hurley Kuchar

Family Shelter Service

Wheaton