Flossmoor’s cancellation of its National Night Out event Tuesday was not related to a recent police shooting death of a village resident or questions raised about the shooting at a Monday Village Board meeting, Mayor Michelle Nelson said Wednesday.

Residents were notified Tuesday that “out of an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of attendees, the village has made the difficult decision to cancel” events set to take place at Parker Junior High.

Nelson said that the cancellation was not related to the July 10 shooting death of 64-year-old Madeline Miller, who was shot three times by Flossmoor police after she advanced toward officers with a knife outside her home.

State police are conducting an independent probe into the shooting and the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.

Nelson said the decision to cancel the traditional event, held at communities across the country, was a “team decision.”

“Through various monitoring methods, we have been made aware of several conversations that have caused concern among law enforcement,” a message sent to residents stated.

The cancellation came after Monday’s Village Board meeting where the mayor sought a brief recess after a public comment period where questions were asked of the shooting.

“At one point the crowd was very loud and wasn’t allowing us to conduct village business,” Nelson said Wednesday.

Social media posts had encouraged people to pack Monday’s board meeting and to attend a “Flossmoor Police Accountability Rally” beforehand.

A news release sent out Wednesday by those supporting the Miller family and police accountability questioned the reasons for the night out’s cancellation and stated those at the Village Board meeting “came out to demand real justice and safety” in the community.

“The demands from family and community members are for a safer Flossmoor,” the release states, noting that village officials “refuse to hear our demands for accountability and change.”

“Officials were uncomfortable with what people had to say, and are now claiming there is a safety issue in the village,” the release states.

LaShawn Lattrice, listed as the media contact on the news release, did not respond to messages Wednesday.

Nelson said the night out event draws families each year and is “really focused on the children,” with village departments sponsoring activities geared toward them.

The event was scheduled to take place from 5 to 9 p.m. at the school, 2810 School St., and the message canceling it stated “we did not want to place our guests, especially our younger guests, in a stressful environment.”

Nelson said that, at some point, she and department heads, including the police chief, huddled to decide whether to go forward with the event, and that there were concerns about whether it “would remain a family friendly event.”

At Monday’s Village Board meeting, Nelson said Wednesday, she called for a recess after the public comment period at the start of the meeting, which drew a larger crowd than typical.

“We allowed the crowd to say what they wanted,” Nelson said, adding she had allowed for additional time for comment than typically allocated.

“Folks in the audience did not maintain public decorum,” she said, and that, during the recess, the crowd dispersed but was not ushered out by police.

Police said they have been limited to what they can comment on regarding the July 10 shooting, which began when officers were called shortly after noon to an address in the 1400 block of Joyce Drive for a report of a domestic disturbance.

Police heard “arguing and commotion” inside the residence and, after announcing their presence, a woman using a walker opened the door for officers, police said.

Police released body camera footage of the encounter days later which shows officers and Miller just outside the front door of her home.

A female family member began yelling “she’s trying to kill me,” and she and the woman in the walker moved out of the way for officers, police said.

Miller emerged from around a corner, holding a large kitchen knife, and “quickly ran at the officers with the knife pointed in their direction,” police said.

Officers retreated back onto a driveway and ordered Miller to drop the knife, which she refused to do and continued “to advance toward the officers at a quick pace,” according to the police statement.

One officer fired a single shot, hitting Miller in the arm, and when she continued to advance toward that officer, with the knife raised, the second officer fired two shots, hitting the woman in the torso, police said.

Police rendered aid at the scene and Miller was taken to Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest, where she was pronounced dead a short time later, and her death was ruled a homicide by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The responding officers have been placed on administrative leave per departmental policy while the state police investigation proceeds, according to the department.

Nelson said that she and other village officials have been limited to how they can comment due to the outside investigation of the shooting by state police.

“This has been a really difficult situation and we are doing everything we can to protect the integrity of the investigation,” she said.

mnolan@tribpub.com