By Brian Stanley
Four people are dead after an apparent murder-suicide Feb. 28 in Joliet.
At 10:19 p.m. police went to a house in the 500 block of Whitley Avenue after learning someone had been shot.
“Officers arrived on the scene and located a male, female and two young children deceased on the second story of the residence,” Joliet Police said in a statement.
The Will County Coroner’s office has identified the dead as Brandyn Lee, a 34-year-old man; Jacquelon Gaskin, a 28-year-old woman; and Gaskin’s children – Gianna Lee, a 6-year-old girl, and Giovanni Lee, a 1-year-old boy.
Police said the incident is being investigated as a “murder-suicide” and no suspects are being sought. Evidence collected at the scene and witness statements led detectives to determine Brandyn Lee shot Gaskin and her children before killing himself.
Autopsies were performed Friday at the coroner’s office and showed all four people died from a single gunshot wound. A gun was recovered from the crime scene, police said. Police records show no prior reports of domestic violence at the home.
“These are the worst types of calls that officers can respond to,” Police Chief Al Roechner said. “Anytime a person is killed it’s a heartbreaking situation, but when children are killed it’s incomprehensible. It’s something that I will never understand. My heart goes out to the family of the victims.”
While providing information about the incident, police encouraged anyone feeling suicidal to call 911, seek professional help or reach out to the Will-Grundy Crisis Line at (815) 722-3344.