Man Found Dead In Suspected Suicide Near Beverly Fire
UPDATED 01/31/12 9:57 a.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A man was found shot to death in a suspected suicide early Tuesday, near the scene of a fire that broke out in a house in the Beverly neighborhood.
Firefighters were called about 5:51 a.m. to a fire at 10257 S. California Ave. in a two-story brick house, Fire Media Affairs spokesman Richard Rosado said.
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The quiet residential area where the fire broke out is just north of the Ridge Country Club.
Emergency crews also discovered a man dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound in a vehicle parked in the driveway, police said. The 79-year-old man had suffered just one gunshot wound, police said.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office could not immediately provide additional information.
A woman who says she has helped the man with chores around the house says the man had a number of handguns and rifles, and had worked years ago for an armored car company.
The woman says the man's wife died a number of years ago. He was said to have been depressed lately.
There were reports the some of the ammunition in the home exploded during the fire. The Fire Department says it's not unusual for that to happen in homes where there are fires where guns are kept.
During the fire, California Avenue was closed between 102nd and 104th streets, and busy 103rd Street was only running in one direction, CBS 2's Derrick Young reported.
There were no injuries in the fire, which was crews extinguished about 7 a.m., Rosado said.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
