Mundelein shooting news today: 4 family members among 5 dead after murder-suicide in 200 block of Wellington Avenue, police say

MUNDELEIN, Ill. (WLS) — Police are investigating a murder-suicide after five people were found shot to death in a north suburban home Sunday evening.

A concerned family member, who had been unable to contact one of the victims, called police for a wellness check, and Mundelein officers went to the home in the 200 block of Wellington Avenue around 11:45 p.m.

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There, officers found five people, three men and two women, who appeared to have been shot at close range with a handgun. Police recovered two handguns at the scene.

Four of the deceased were family members and the fifth had a domestic relationship with the suspect. Two of the victims lived in the house where the shooting occurred.

Neighbor Sam Escobedo says he thinks he heard what might have been gunshots much earlier Sunday, just before noon.

“We heard firecrackers. We didn’t pay much attention to it; we thought it was kids or something,” Escobedo said.

Neighbors said the couple who lived in the house were retired veterinarians. The wife was someone who walked around the neighborhood regularly and was beloved by those who knew her, they said.

“She was a retired, vibrant veterinarian,” a neighbor said. “She was a friendly person. She greeted people. She had conversations with all kinds of neighbors…I’m horrified. I’m horrified that this would happen to someone and someone I knew.”

Rosa Bernel said she worked at a clinic the couple once owned.

“Very nice people; best bosses I’ve ever had in my life,” Bernel said.

Other neighbors say the couple was devoted to their pets.

“They were totally devoted to animals, cats obviously,” said a neighbor.

Many neighbors were shocked by the violence in this usually quiet neighborhood.

“It’s a really safe little town. So to hear that, five people dying, it’s pretty worrying,” said neighbor Pavli Ibarra.

Investigators were seen entering and exiting the home and examining several cars in the driveway. The police forced their way into a gray Volkswagen in the parking lot next to the house.

It’s unclear what exactly they found in the car or how it relates to the case. Detectives left the house with bags of suspected evidence Monday afternoon, and police removed tape of the crime around the house shortly afterward.

Police said the shooting appears to be an isolated incident and the Lake County Coroner’s Office has not yet released the names of the victims. They say they are trying to reach a relative who lives outside of Illinois.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Mundelein Police Department at 847-968-4600.