Family members are calling for the firing of a police officer and suspension of other officers, while saying officials publicly lied, after police fatally shot an armed 37-year-old woman experiencing a depression episode in Mundelein.
Chicago-based O’Connor Law Firm told Lake and McHenry County Scanner in a statement that they are representing the family of Mary Alice Love, 37, of Mundelein.
The law firm sent a letter this week to the Village of Mundelein, including to the police chief and the mayor.
Attorney Kevin W. O’Connor said that Love was fatally shot by a Mundelein police officer on May 11 while she was on an outdoor patio at her residence in the 1100 block of Ashbrook Drive in Mundelein.
Love was inquiring why police officers were pulling her elderly mother to the ground, O’Connor said.
“The family and the police body worn camera strongly dispute public statements suggesting that Ms. Love threatened officers with two knives or that she threatened them at all. Such statements are false, misleading, and unsupported by the actual facts surrounding this incident,” he said in the letter.
“The shooting of Mary Alice Love has devastated her family, shocked the community, and raised serious concerns regarding the use of deadly force, the accuracy of information released by the Mundelein Police Department, and the integrity of the investigative process,” O’Connor added.
The letter demanded that the village and police department immediately terminate the police sergeant who shot Love and suspend a female officer who refused to let a family member ride in the ambulance with her mother.
The law firm also demanded that the supervising police officer, who locked down Advocate Condell Medical Center and refused to allow the family to see the victim’s mother, be suspended.
O’Connor also demanded that the body-worn camera footage of the incident, along with dispatch recordings and other evidence, be released to the public. “Transparency is essential to restoring public trust and ensuring that the facts are not obscured by incomplete or inaccurate narratives.”
O’Connor asked the village to retract and correct “false statements” asserting that Love threatened police officers with knives and provide a public apology to the family.
“The family of Mary Alice Love seeks truth, transparency, accountability, and justice. The public has a right to know precisely what occurred on May 11, 2026, and why deadly force was used against Mary Alice Love,” the letter said.
The law firm told the village that if they refuse to take “meaningful action,” the family and its supporters intend to conduct “public advocacy campaigns, petitions, and peaceful public protests and marches.”
The family has since scheduled a protest and march for Love for 5 p.m. on June 18 at the Mundelein Village Hall.
A flyer for the event said Love was experiencing a depression episode and her mother sought assistance through a non-emergency call.
The mother was told a mental health professional would come to the home but instead police officers responded in minutes and did not wait for a mental health professional, the flyer said.
“Officers demanded entry into the home. Mary Alice’s mother went toward the sliding glass door to inform her of police presence. As her mother approached the door, one of the police officers dragged her backwards knocking her to the ground,” the flyer said.
The flyer said Love was shot four times by the police sergeant while she was on the outdoor patio after approaching the sliding glass door of the living room to ask why officers were pulling her elderly mother to the ground.
Lake County Major Crime Task Force Spokesperson Heather Cognac said the Mundelein Police Department responded around 5:57 p.m. to the Ashbrook Drive home for a report of a suicidal female.
“The caller, a relative on scene, reported the female was suicidal and had stated she wanted the police to kill her,” Cognac said.
Police arrived and learned Love had exited the house and was sitting on the back patio.
As officers were inside the home attempting to gather more information from the caller, Love “suddenly” stood up and approached the rear sliding door while armed with two large knives, Cognac said.
“The female started yelling and aggressively opened the sliding door and began to enter the residence,” Cognac said.
Cognac said an officer inside the home discharged their weapon and struck Love.
Officers immediately summoned firefighter/paramedics at 6:11 p.m., who were already staging nearby until the scene was deemed safe, according to fire department radio traffic.
Paramedics transported Love to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville where she was pronounced dead.
Paramedics also transported the officer who discharged their firearm for evaluation.
An autopsy performed Tuesday showed that Love died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek.
The Lake County Major Crime Task Force responded to the scene and began conducting an independent investigation into the incident in accordance with protocol and Illinois law.
“Our thoughts remain with the family of the deceased, the involved officer, and everyone affected by this incident,” Mundelein Police Chief Jason Seeley said in a statement after the shooting.
“We recognize the significant impact this event has had on all those involved and on the broader community,” Seeley said.
“The Mundelein Police Department is fully cooperating with the investigation alongside the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office,” he said.
“As the investigation progresses, the department is committed to providing accurate and timely information when appropriate, and in coordination with investigators and the family,” the police chief added.
Video and audio evidence of the encounter is expected to be released when “key investigative steps” are completed.
The Mundelein police officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, Seeley said.
Crime scene tape surrounded both sides of Ashbrook Drive, with a slew of police officers and investigators at the scene into the evening.
Karen Minorini, who lives approximately one block away, told a Lake & McHenry County Scanner reporter at the scene that she heard four gunshots while in her backyard.
“I can tell they were coming from north of me, so I believed they were probably on Ashbrook [Drive], I wasn’t sure,” Minorini said.
“I called 911 and told them I heard gunshots, and then I saw all the police activity after that.”
Minorini saw more emergency crews descending onto Ashbrook Drive immediately upon finishing the 911 call.
“It was a very active scene,” Minorini said.
Minorini said she did not hear or see anything notable before the four gunshots.
“I heard no other gunshots. I heard nobody saying any kind of commands like ‘stop,’ ‘put it down,’ anything like that,” she said.
Minorini added that her small and quiet neighborhood has not seen any activity like this before. She said a lot of the homes in the neighborhood are rented out.
Many residents were also surprised to see the slew of emergency crews in their neighborhood.
The family of Love is also demanding that the village schedule and hold a public community meeting at the next village hall meeting on June 22.