A 28-year-old man has been charged with murder after he allegedly fatally shot his ex-girlfriend in the head as officers were entering a residence in Zion Wednesday, authorities said.
The Zion Police Department responded around 12:12 a.m. Wednesday to the 2700 block of Hebron Avenue for a report of a man attacking a woman with a gun.
Officers arrived and found a 20-year-old woman who reported that her ex-boyfriend struck her in the face with a pistol, leaving her injured.
The suspect fled the scene prior to police arriving but was identified as Michael White, 28, of Zion.
Officers searched the area and sent out a countywide alert for White but were unable to locate him.
The woman was relocated at her request to a house in the 1600 block of Barnhart Court in Zion with other family members, police said.
A 911 call was made around 5:13 a.m. Wednesday reporting that White was at the location on Barnhart Court and was threatening the same woman with a gun.
The 911 call was made by a third party who was not at the scene, police said.
Officers responded and tried to make contact with the occupants of the residence.
The person who answered the door was unaware that White was in her house but permitted officers to check for him, police said.
Officers began evacuating the 15 occupants, which included multiple children, that were inside so that the residence could be searched.
During the evacuation, a single gunshot was heard from inside a bedroom, police said.
Officers gave commands for everyone to exit the bedroom.
White came out of the room and surrendered, giving up the gun he had with him, police said.
Officers went into the bedroom and located the female victim deceased from a gunshot wound to her head.
Zion police detectives and the Lake County Major Crime Task Force responded to the scene to investigate.
White was charged with first-degree murder after the case was reviewed with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.
White is scheduled to appear for a bond hearing Thursday morning.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office is withholding the name of the victim until her next of kin has been notified and an autopsy has been performed.
Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call the Zion Police Department at 847-872-8000 or Lake County Crime Stoppers at 847-662-2222.