Chicago, IL: Three dead in apparent murder suicide

May 18, 2010
BY MIKE LANSU AND BEN MEYER-ABBOTT Staff Reporters
An estranged husband angry over a potential divorce told a group of children to go upstairs before he allegedly shot his wife and her friend in the head in the kitchen of her Southwest Side home and then shot himself in her bedroom, police said.

The shooting that fatally wounded two men and a woman happened about 10:15 p.m. on the 4200 block of West 55th Street, said police News Affairs Officer Hector Alfaro. Police are investigating the case as a murder-suicide.

Chicago police officers are investigating the scene of an apparent murder-suicide on the Southwest Side.


The gunman went down to the basement of his estranged wife’s one-story house and sent a group of children, all under age 12, to go upstairs to the main floor. None of the children were eye-witnesses to the shooting, although were interviewed by family and the gunman did not live there, police said.
Apparently angry over a break up and potential divorce, the man shot his wife and then the adult male friend -- both once in the head -- in the kitchen before heading to her bedroom to shot himself once in the chest and head, police said. All three were found in pools of blood in the basement.

It was unclear if the wife and friend had a romantic relationship. The gunman did not live at the home.

A 33-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman both suffered a gunshot wound to the head and the 38-year-old gunman suffered apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds to his head and chest, according to a News Affairs report.

The three remain unidentified as of 6 a.m. Tuesday but are described as Hispanic and in their 30s, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. All suffered gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene at 12:45 a.m.

All three were reportedly dead on the scene. Fire Media Affairs spokesman Richard Rosado confirmed ambulances did not transport anybody.

The gunman left no note and there has been no prior record of domestic violence for the family, police said.

Chicago Police officers were walking in and out of the one-story, beige bungalow with a white picket fence in the front yard late Monday night. The house’s blinds were closed.

Neighbors said there have not been a lot of murders and police called the area a “nice family” neighborhood.

Tim Gilbert was at a bar when he heard loud music next door at what looked like a party. He said he heard three shots and saw shadows of people running from the home.

Another man, who asked not to be identified, said he was smoking a cigarette outside the West 55th Street Tavern, located about two blocks east of the crime scene, when he heard multiple gunshots about the time of the shooting.

The man then says he saw two shadows pass through a back yard near the house.

Wentworth Area detectives are investigating and had cleared the scene about 4:45 a.m. Tuesday.