New Athens firefighter shot in casino robbery has ‘painful road to recovery,’ friends say

Friends have created a GoFundMe page for a New Athens firefighter who was shot and critically injured during an armed robbery at Casino Queen in East St. Louis early Sunday morning.

Larry Weber, a captain with the New Athens Fire Department, was shot on his left side and suffered serious internal injuries during the robbery, according to the GoFundMe page. He’s had two surgeries and has a “painful road to recovery ahead of him,” friends say.

As of Monday, Weber was in stable condition in the ICU.

“This is going to lead to a lot of unexpected expenses for Larry and (his wife) Hope,” the GoFundMe description says. “Larry is always taking care of people, now its (sic) our turn to take care of him. Lets all pull together and help a brother in need.”

Weber was shot during an armed robbery just before 3 a.m. at Casino Queen, where he works as a security guard. Three men with rifles entered the casino, fired multiple shots, once of which hit Weber, and stole money from the cash cage. The suspects had not been apprehended as of Tuesday.

“We are grateful that his injuries do not appear to be life threatening, and he is currently listed in stable condition,” a statement from Casino Queen said. “Our thoughts are with him and his family as we all wish him a speedy recovery.”

Illinois State Police is handling the investigation. Anyone with information can contact state police at 618-346-3990.

This story was originally published September 20, 2017 at 7:49 AM with the headline "New Athens firefighter shot in casino robbery has ‘painful road to recovery,’ friends say."