* WICS TV last July…

It’s been one year since the death of Emma Shafer and the Springfield Police Department is still investigating the case.

On July 11, 2023,Sangamon County Dispatch said they received a call around from a woman in Bethalto stating that her brother possibly injured a woman who lived in Springfield.

Springfield Police responded to the 1000 block of S. 8th St. to check on Shafer, and police found her deceased with multiple stab wounds at the residence.

Sangamon County State’s Attorney said an arrest warrant was issued for Gabriel P. Calixto, in connection with Shafer’s death after she was found stabbed to death in her home.

The warrant charges Calixto with three counts of first-degree murder and aggravated domestic battery with a bond of $3 million.

Springfield Police said they are actively searching for Calixto with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and additional agencies.

According to the Springfield Police Department, they meet with the US Marshals and are still actively searching for Calixto.

Remember that US Marshals thing because it’s gonna come up later in the post.

* Emma Shafer was a beloved local activist…

Shafer has been described as a young woman intent on making a difference. She was the membership chair of the Sierra Club Sangamon Valley Group, an incoming board member for the Springfield Immigrant Advocacy Network, a former organizer with Faith Coalition for the Common Good, and an active volunteer with countless other community groups.

“Emma loved to travel, making trips for both pleasure and service to California, New York, Europe, and South Africa. But, she was committed to her hometown of Springfield, and passionate about the concept of Planning to Stay — the idea that every decision made today should be driven by how it will affect future generations,” according to her obituary.

“Emma was a life-long activist. Even as a child, she tended to go sit with the kid eating lunch alone and recruit her friends to join them. She recognized inequities in the way certain classmates were treated and spoke up to ask adults to realize the harm they were causing.”

It adds her long-term plans included hosting of redlining tours to explain the history and impact of racially discriminatory city planning in Springfield. She hosted weekly “soup night” gatherings in her home, bringing together advocates she believed needed to know each other.

* After a large crowd showed up near the governor’s mansion to protest Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference, her handlers moved the event to near the home of Emma Shafer’s parents. Noem abruptly ended the press conference when protesters drew near, as you can see if you click here and skip to near the end of the video.

Emma Shafer’s mom was actually at the anti-Noem protest and was visibly in tears, Isabel told me.

* From Secretary Noem’s remarks…

The one thing that I would like to say is we still we’re standing on the street because of Emma Shaffer. She lost her life to an illegal alien that’s still out at large, probably in this state. We can’t confirm that because we, the local law enforcement and the state law enforcement are barred by state law, with the support of Governor Pritzker for sharing any information with our ICE officers or HSI officers, this is the individual who killed Emma. And I would ask you to implore your leaders here at the State to participate with us so we can bring him in before he kills someone else. He stabbed her repeatedly over and over again. She lost her life, and her killer is still loose today. So I would ask that you continue to go to Governor Pritzker and tell him to change his laws so that individuals like that can be brought to justice.

Remember, the US Marshal’s office and other agencies have been working with the Springfield police on this case since the very beginning.

And let’s be clear, Calixto was a very bad guy. But it’s highly doubtful that the Emma Shafer who so many people knew during her life would’ve approved of Noem’s using her for rhetorical gain. The appearance of Shafer’s mom at the protest solidifies that belief.

Also, despite what Noem said, police think Calixto may have fled the country.

* Let’s go back to the planned event outside the governor’s mansion, a month after the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion was ransacked by an intruder. It turns out, the City of Springfield denied a permit to the Illinois Environmental Council to hold an event in that same space earlier this year. From a March 20 City of Springfield email to the IEC…

I apologize for the delay as well as being unable to move forward with a permit for this location.

I was under the impression we were able to entertain new requests but with the status of the block we are not issuing permits to events that are not recurring annual special events that are already on the calendar.

I would be able to move forward with permitting for the area around the Lincoln Statue if you are able to secure permitting through the state for that.

Please let me know how you would like to proceed.

I’ve asked a city spokesperson why a permit (if any) was issued to Noem, and if a permit was issued for the event near the Shafer home. I have not yet heard back. I’ll let you know when I know.

…Adding… The response from the city spokesperson…

There were no permits applied for or issued by the City of Springfield for the location in question. Additionally, no permission was given by the City to hold an event at any private residence. The Springfield Police Department confirmed they were unaware of the planned routes or locations taken by Secretary Noem.

* Related…

* Be Like Emma Dress Resale keeping Emma Shafer’s legacy alive: “She wanted to change the world…” said Lucy Schmadeke, sophomore at Springfield High School. “She would always say Lucy and I are going to change the world together and we’re going to make a difference.” Now, Schmadeke is making that difference in Central Illinois. Schmadeke recalls how kind, intelligent, and determined her friend, and babysitter, Emma Shafer was. “She very quickly became someone that I thought of as a big sister…” added Schmadeke.

* Click here to donate to the Emma Shafer Peace and Justice Fund