5 people found shot to death in murder-suicide in Mundelein, Illinois, police say
Five people were found dead with gunshot wounds in an apparent murder-suicide inside a house in the north Chicago suburb of Mundelein late Sunday night.
At 11:45 p.m. Sunday, Mundelein police were called for a wellbeing check at a house in the 200 block of Wellington Avenue after a concerned family member reported they couldn't reach their relatives.
Inside, officers found three men and two women dead. All five appeared to have been shot at close range with a handgun. A preliminary investigation determined the five people were killed in an apparent murder-suicide, police said.
Police said four of the victims were family members, while the fifth was involved in a domestic relationship with the suspected shooter. None of the five people's names have been released.
Two handguns were found at the scene.
Mundelein police were investigating along with the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force. Police said the incident appears to be isolated and there is no threat to the public.
CBS News Chicago was on the scene as investigators brought out three bodies on stretchers around 7 a.m. Each was covered in a black sheet. The bodies were placed in a black van.
Some time afterward, investigators were seen trying to get inside a Volkswagen with Illinois plates. The vehicle was sitting in a funeral home parking lot that butts up to the red house. The car was wrapped in crime scene tape, but its relevance to the death investigation was unclear.
The deaths had neighbors up and down the block expressing a sense of shock, horror, and disbelief.
"This morning, about 5 a.m., helicopters are flying over and I didn't know what it was," said one neighbor who asked not to be identified.
Neighbors said a retired couple who used to run a veterinary clinic in Libertyville had lived in the house for decades. They said the family was quiet.
A neighbor who did not want to be named fears one of the victims might be the female homeowner.
"She'd say hello to people. She was friendly. I have a cat who comes out and runs around as I'm gardening, and she'd always talk to me about my cat. She knew cats. She loved cats," she said. "Her mind was clear. Her mind was focused and positive. She was a great neighbor."
Rosa Berneo said she worked with the family for years.
"The best bosses I ever had in my life," she said. "It was very painful. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it, and I still can't believe it, because they were so very nice people."
Neighbor Dave Cameron echoes the disbelief left by the tragedy.
"This is a tragedy for the community… this is a quiet, nice area and this is just horrible," he said.
Flowers and a candle were left at the home on Monday.
Police have not released any motives or said who might have pulled the trigger and killed the people in the house. Before Sunday night, Mundelein police had not received any calls for service at that home.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Mundelein police at 847-968-4600.
