Investigation into Des Plaines home invasion continues

Life went on normally this morning in the quiet block off River Road where masked gunmen broke into the home of a Des Plaines couple early Wednesday.

The gunmen - possibly three or four brandishing handguns, police said - entered a home on the 1300 block of River Road at about 12:30 a.m., holding a married couple at gunpoint while ransacking their residence.

The victims, one of them a 56-year-old male, were not injured, according to authorities.

Police are not releasing the family's identity, or details such as how long they were held captive or how the offenders escaped, saying that is all part of their investigation.

Investigators are chasing several leads, but police would not comment on the direction the investigation is headed.

"It's a very important investigation for us to solve quickly to prevent this from happening to any other victims," Des Plaines Police Chief Jim Prandini said.

However, police say they believe the home was specifically targeted, and that the general public has nothing to fear.

What the gunmen were searching for in the home remains unclear.

"They were there looking for something rather than to hurt the family," Prandini said.

Prandini said there is a connection between the couple and the suspects, but wouldn't divulge why the home was targeted. The couple is understandably "shaken up" from the incident, he said.

"If somebody forces entry into your home, displaying a gun ... it's pretty traumatic," he said.

Prandini would not say whether the couple was still under threat, but noted that it was an isolated incident in a neighborhood that hasn't had many problems over the years.

"Once in a while you get a burglary here and there, but nothing consistent," he said.