A quiet Illinois community is in shock after a tragic murder-suicide unfolded outside a middle school, leaving an assistant principal and her mother dead.
Police say the violence erupted just after 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, outside Lincoln Middle School in Berwyn. Officers in the area saw a man fire a rifle into a parked car before turning the weapon toward them. According to a police press release, he then fatally shot himself.
Inside the targeted vehicle, authorities found 46-year-old Assistant Principal Nerissa Lee, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Her mother was also killed in the attack, though her name has not yet been released by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The shooter was identified as Lee’s husband, 54-year-old Steven Lee. Police confirmed the case is being treated as a domestic violence incident. “The impact of this loss is felt deeply not only within the school community but throughout Berwyn,” the department said in a statement. “Assistant Principal Lee was a dedicated educator and leader who touched the lives of countless students and staff members.”
Family members say there had been troubling signs leading up to the tragedy. “It had started ever since I want to say the tail end of June and basically the boiling point would have been yesterday,” Lee’s sister, Shana Everage, told NBC Chicago.
Classes resumed Thursday with grief counselors on hand for staff and students. Seventh-grader Christopher Cruz-Villogoez described the frightening moments as shots rang out while about 100 students were still inside the school. “I was like scared, like I was talking to my mom like you shouldn’t come here because it was a little bit dangerous,” he told CBS Chicago.
At a memorial service, students remembered their assistant principal for her sense of humor and dedication. “She would laugh so hard that I didn’t understand the joke but I would also laugh,” one student shared. Another added, “She really loved her school, really loved her kids. She was all about what she needed to do.”
Maybe the mayor can help