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Elderly Woman, Son Dead In Murder-Suicide After West Town SWAT Standoff

By  Alisa Hauser and Stephanie Lulay | October 25, 2016 8:05pm | Updated on October 26, 2016 7:59am

 A Chicago Police SWAT team smashed the windows of a ground-floor apartment in the 800 block of North Wolcott Avenue where a barricade situation was reported Tuesday night.
A Chicago Police SWAT team smashed the windows of a ground-floor apartment in the 800 block of North Wolcott Avenue where a barricade situation was reported Tuesday night.
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DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser

WEST TOWN — A Chicago Police SWAT team on the scene of a barricade situation in West Town for five hours on Tuesday night smashed in the windows of a ground-floor apartment to discover two people dead inside in an apparent murder-suicide, according to officials. 

A SWAT team responded to a "domestic-related shots fired call" that resulted in a barricade situation in the 800 block of North Wolcott Avenue in the East Village neighborhood in West Town at 5:06 p.m. Tuesday, said Officer Bari Lemmon, a Chicago Police spokesperson.

Two people died in the incident, according to the Cook Medical Examiner's office. The were identified as Loretta A. Purcell, 84, and Christopher K. Purcell, 58, both of 835 N. Wolcott Ave.

A preliminary investigation determined that Loretta Purcell died of multiple sharp force injuries and her death was ruled a homicide. Christopher Purcell died of a gunshot wound in an apparent suicide, according to the medical examiner's office.

Neighbors who live near the apartment building at 835 N. Wolcott Ave. where the Purcells lived reported hearing four gunshots prior to the arrival of the SWAT truck, police and an ambulance. According to an overnight ABC7 report, the man and woman found dead are an elderly mother and her adult son.

At about 9:45 p.m., the SWAT truck on the scene was inching closer to the building where authorities believed the armed man was barricaded inside. 

Police officers yelled out, "Chicago Police!" toward the building as glass could be heard smashing. Sirens soon followed.

Minutes later, an ambulance arrived at the scene. 

At 10:07 p.m., the SWAT truck drove away. Police officers and an ambulance departed the scene before 10:15 p.m. 

 

10:07 p.m., SWAT team left 800 block of Wolcott @dnainfochi

A video posted by alisa (@alisahauser1) on

Officers told residents about the incident during a police beat meeting at the Near West Police Station at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Near West Cmdr. Ed Kulbida was on the scene, according to Sgt. Juan Clas. 

Police blocked off a stretch of Wolcott Avenue to car traffic as they monitored the building.

At about 5 p.m., a nanny who works across the street from the apartment building said she heard helicopters overhead and cops yelling: "Hands up!" The SWAT team has been on the scene "for hours," she said around 9:30 p.m.

"This makes me feel nervous and I did not know if I should come out," she said. 

 

SWAT team in West Town inching closer to the building where authorities believe armed man barricaded inside.

A photo posted by alisa (@alisahauser1) on

 

Earlier in the night, cops told two women near the building not to travel down Wolcott.  

"We have the situation under control, it's contained, we are doing this for everyone's safety," a Near West (12th) District officer told DNAinfo Chicago. The officer declined to answer questions about the situation. 

Chicago Police shine a light on a home in the 800 block of North Wolcott Avenue Tuesday night.[DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]

A Chicago Police SWAT truck is on the scene of an active barricade situation in West Town. [DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]

A Chicago Police SWAT team on the scene of of an active barricade situation in West Town Tuesday night. [DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]

An ambulance arrives [DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]

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