A man was charged with murder Friday after a woman and a teen girl were shot dead inside a home in northwest suburban Crystal Lake Thursday night -- a double-killing an 11-year-old boy says he and another child overheard as they hid in a bedroom.
Officers were called to the home around 8 p.m. in the 100 block of Marian Parkway for a report of a female armed with a knife, according to Crystal Lake police. Soon after, police received another call saying a male was carrying a gun.
When officers arrived, they found two females, ages 31 and 16, shot inside the home. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Ryan C. Yarber, 31, of Crystal Lake, was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree murder for both deaths, police said. He was being held at the McHenry County Jail.
Juan Viveros, 11, said he was inside the home for a play date when the horrifying scene unfolded.
"As soon as they got into the fight, my friend locked the door so they couldn't go in," Viveros said. "And then we heard a scream from downstairs... and we heard loud bangs."
Neighbors had said the 31-year-old woman and 16-year-old girl were relatives, possibly sisters.
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Juan said police came into the home and told his friend "your mom and aunt have passed away."
Juan's family lives three houses down from where the shooting happened. His sister said neighborhood children frequently play at each other's homes.
"My little brother played with their kids all the time, and it's just, I don't know... they were really nice," said Odalys Cordova. "Like you'd walk down the street and he would wave at you."
Police called the shooting isolated and said there was no threat to public safety.
An investigation remained ongoing Friday morning.
