Jacksonville standoff ends after ten hours, suspect surrenders in Park Street case

A domestic disturbance in a Jacksonville neighborhood shut down a school, blocked nearby streets and ended only after a ten-hour standoff that drew in crisis negotiators and SWAT officers.

Jacksonville police said officers were called about 1:23 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Friday, April 24, 2026, to the 700 block of Park Street, with one update placing the scene near Park and Smithland streets and another identifying the standoff area at Park and Hoagland. Police said a shot was reportedly fired during the domestic dispute, and the woman involved was able to get out safely.

Jacksonville Police Department Special Response Team members and Illinois State Police SWAT officers responded as the situation stretched through the morning. Police said the residence was surrounded while negotiators worked to bring the suspect out peacefully. Residents inside the police perimeter were offered the chance to leave their homes, and at least a couple accepted before the scene was cleared.

The standoff ended around 11:30 a.m. when Thomas M. Loughary, 37, surrendered and was taken into custody for medical evaluation. Preliminary charges listed in the update included domestic battery, aggravated discharge of a firearm, possession of a weapon by a felon and possession of a weapon after his FOID card was revoked.

Jacksonville Police Chief Doug Thompson said the woman was not held hostage. Police said she was checked at the hospital and released, and no injuries were reported to officers or to the suspect.

The impact reached beyond the block itself. Jacksonville Middle School was closed for the day because of the police operation nearby, a sign of how quickly a domestic call involving a reported gunshot can ripple into school schedules, traffic control and a broader public-safety response.

Illinois State Police said its response came at the request of Jacksonville police and included crisis negotiators and SWAT officers. By late morning, the tense scene on Park Street had ended without further violence, but it left behind a reminder of how fast a domestic disturbance can escalate into an all-day emergency in the middle of a neighborhood.