A pair of custodians were fatally shot at Mark Twain Elementary School on the city’s Southwest Side, according to preliminary police information obtained by the Tribune and officials with the union representing school support staff.
The shooting took place Monday afternoon at 5134 S. Lotus Ave. in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood around 3:40 p.m., according to the notification.
Chicago Lawn (8th) District police found a 48-year-old woman shot in the head and a 63-year-old man with what the initial police notification described as an “apparently self-inflicted” gunshot wound to the head. Officers found a gun at the scene of the shooting, according to a Chicago Police Department statement.
Both were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition and pronounced dead later Monday afternoon, according to police.
Trumaine Reeves, SEIU Local 73 executive vice president, told the Tribune that both victims were custodians. Local 73 represents 13,000 support staff in CPS.
“There are at least two families impacted by this tragedy and our hearts and prayers go out to them,” Reeves said. “Our thoughts go out to those family members and the school community. It’s just devastating.”
At least 10 squad cars sat parked outside of the elementary school late Monday afternoon as police tape blocked off the school grounds. Residents from neighboring homes across the street sat on their porches watching the police activity.
Kelly Carrillo was at home when traffic on her street began to build up. At first, the 46-year-old didn’t think anything of it, but then she and her husband saw the ambulances and the fire trucks arrive.
Carrillo, who has lived on 51st Street across from the school for the past six years, said she and her husband stepped outside to see what was going on.
“All of a sudden, SWAT came,” she said.
Carrillo said she witnessed paramedics take one person out of the school on a stretcher.
“School starts in like two weeks,” Carrillo said, adding that no one in her family attended Twain. “I don’t know if they’re even gonna open the school up.”
Her neighborhood is usually quiet, she said. Seeing the police activity was jarring.
“What made me more nervous,” she went on, “is like, why are they bringing guns to the school?”
Principal Matthew Moline told Twain families in a letter Monday evening, shared with the Tribune by CPS, that the shooting took place inside the building. “Members of our school community were impacted,” he said, but no students were on campus at the time.
“We know that this news will be deeply concerning to our families and staff,” Moline wrote. “We will work to provide additional information to the school community as the investigation proceeds.”
Felicia Puga, whose 6-year-old daughter, Luna, has attended Twain since kindergarten, walked over to the campus from her house a few blocks away as soon as she heard sirens.
“I don’t even know how to put it into words,” the 32-year-old said. “It’s crazy.”
Her daughter was about to start second grade. Monday’s shooting, however, has Puga questioning whether Twain is safe.
“I bought all her school supplies,” she said. “Now, I’m thinking about if I need to put her in a different school.”
Puga said she wants to see how the district will respond.
“I really hope they fix this,” she said, “and just put a lot more effort … into their hiring process.”
Puga said if she does send her daughter to Twain later this month, “you better believe I’ll be on the corner.”
“Thank God,” she went on, “no children were inside the school when this happened.”
Just after 5:30 p.m., Puga remained on the scene with Luna. She held her close.
“My daughter’s safety is everything to me,” she said, “as every parent inside of the school.”
Wentworth Area detectives were investigating.
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