A man who was shot and killed while wielding a chainsaw inside an assisted living facility in a Chicago suburb has been identified by police.
Authorities said 41-year-old Daniel Escalera, of Stockwell, Indiana, was pronounced dead Sunday following the police shooting. An autopsy was scheduled to take place Monday.
Police said Escalera had no known ties to the facility and police had no previous contact with him in St. Charles.
"His reason for being in St. Charles or at this facility are unknown at this time," the St. Charles Police Department said in a release.
St. Charles police said the situation began around 8:45 a.m. Sunday, when they received their first call for a wellbeing check in the 900 block of North 5th Avenue. There, they were told witnesses saw a shirtless man holding a chainsaw attempting to cut down a tree on the assisted living center's property.
But just before they arrived, they were informed that man had entered the lobby of the building and began "confronting residents with the chainsaw."
Police attempted to de-escalate the situation, but the suspect allegedly continued to threaten residents and officers with the chainsaw.
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Officers deployed a Taser, but the "attack continued."
"An officer was then forced to fire his service weapon, striking the suspect," police said in a statement.
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Officers attempted to render aid to the man after the shooting, but he ultimately died at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, the department said.
According to the release, residents of the facility and some of the responding officers were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
Illinois State Police will lead the investigation into the officer-involved shooting in accordance with state law and department policy. The officer who shot Escalera has been placed on paid administrative leave, per department policy.
In a statement, the assisted living center expressed gratitude to the responding officers, saying "safety and security of our residents and staff remain our highest priority."
"This morning, an unauthorized person briefly entered our community and was quickly stopped by responding officers. We are deeply grateful for the swift action of our team and law enforcement. We want to emphasize that our community is secure, and all residents and staff members are safe," the statement read. The safety and security of our residents and staff remain our highest priority. We are working closely with law enforcement as they continue their investigation of this isolated incident. We will continue to provide updates as appropriate."
NOTE: An earlier version of this story reported Escalera's age as 24, citing police. Police later corrected the age to 41.
