Two people are dead and three people, including two police officers, are injured after a shootout in suburban River Forest Sunday morning. NBC 5’s Katie Kim reports.
Three people were injured, including two police officers, and two men are dead following a shootout in suburban River Forest, Illinois, early Sunday morning.
River Forest police officers and fire officials responded to a call around 7:20 a.m. about a woman suffering from shortness of breath at a home on Lathrop Avenue, according to Deputy Chief Jim O'Shea. When the officers arrived at the scene, they were "ambushed by an armed assailant with a shotgun," O'Shea said.
Gunfire was exchanged between the police officers and the alleged offender, who has been identified as a 24-year-old man.
The offender was killed in the shootout, and two police officers received non-life-threatening injuries, according to O'Shea. One was a 15-year veteran with the department, who was shot while wearing a bullet-proof vest. The other was a 5-year veteran. The nature of his injuries is unclear.
Two other victims were inside the house. One of them identified as a 60-year-old man was killed in the incident. The other — a 59-year-old woman who was identified as the mother of the offender — was injured, O'Shea said. She underwent surgery for her injuries Sunday.
The Cook County medical examiner identified the 24-year-old victim as Matthew Watson, who died at Loyola Hospital. The 60-year-old man, who died on the scene, was identified as William Carlson.
Dan Flannery, a witness who lives on the same block as the incident, told NBC Chicago he heard more than 20 or 30 shots fired.
U.S. & World
Flannery said he saw an officer on the ground outside a house holding his side. The officer fired shots into the house, and shots were returned to the officer. A body was then wheeled out of the home, Flannery said.
This is a developing story. Check back for more details.
