A 21-year-old man has been charged with murder after authorities say he fatally shot his girlfriend’s mother’s boyfriend and also shot his girlfriend’s mother in Mundelein Tuesday.
The Mundelein Police Department, Mundelein Fire Department and Countryside Fire Protection District responded around 11:40 a.m. Tuesday to an apartment building in the 500 block of Deepwoods Drive in Mundelein for a report of a shooting.
911 callers reported two people had been shot and one of them was unresponsive, according to Lake County Major Crime Task Force Spokesman Christopher Covelli.
Police officers arrived and ensured the scene was secure before the fire department moved into the scene.
Officers encountered two victims who were suffering from gunshot wounds at the Diamond Lane Apartments, 555 Deepwoods Drive.
An adult male was transported by ambulance to an area hospital with a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead after arriving, Covelli said.
An adult female was also transported by ambulance to an area hospital with serious injuries, but she is expected to survive.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the hospital and is in the process of conducting an autopsy on the man, whose identity has not been released.
Investigators learned that the suspect, Deandre Y. Harris, 21, of South Holland, is in a dating relationship with a 19-year-old woman who lives at the apartment where the shooting occurred.
Harris was visiting his girlfriend when he got into an argument with the male victim, a 48-year-old man who lives in the same apartment, Covelli said.
Covelli said Harris produced a semi-automatic pistol during the argument and began shooting.
The male victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds and the victim’s 47-year-old girlfriend, who also resides at the apartment, was struck by the gunfire.
Covelli said the female victim is Harris’ girlfriend’s mother and the male victim is the boyfriend of the female victim.
Responding officers quickly obtained a description of Harris and the vehicle the suspect fled in, Covelli said.
They broadcast the information to law enforcement agencies throughout the region over the Illinois State Police Emergency Radio Network (ISPERN).
The vehicle, reported to be a Chevrolet Blazer, was spotted in Chicago around 12:40 p.m. Tuesday, according to police radio traffic.
Law enforcement, including a police helicopter, responded to the area of Interstate 94 on the south side of Chicago as the vehicle was on the move.
Illinois State Police and other agencies conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle in the area of southbound Interstate 94 at 130th Street, police radio traffic indicated.
They ordered both occupants of the car out at gunpoint and took Harris and an adult female into custody. The female had been reportedly driving and Harris was a passenger.
A firearm was located inside the vehicle after it was searched following a search warrant.
Covelli said investigators believe this was a targeted, domestic-related incident.
Harris has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, a Class M felony, and aggravated battery by discharge of a firearm, a Class X felony.
Harris was transported to the Lake County Jail on Tuesday and is expected to appear in First Appearance Court on Wednesday morning.
The shooting prompted a massive police response from a slew of departments throughout Lake County.
Officers with rifles were seen setting up a perimeter east of Route 45. Drones were also deployed.
The Lake County Major Crime Task Force, which consists of investigators from agencies in the county, was requested to the scene.
Investigators were seen taking photos of the apartment, conducting interviews and entering nearby businesses in the Deep Wood Plaza shopping center to learn more about what happened.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office intends to file a petition to detain Harris in custody while awaiting trial.
Task force investigators and Mundelein police detectives continue to actively investigate the circumstances surrounding the homicide.