A 40-year-old Monee man fatally shot his wife and wounded their teenage daughter Wednesday night at their Monee home before he later was found dead about a mile away with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Monee police said.
"Two other teenagers were in the home and they told police officers their father shot their mother and (15-year-old) sister and then fled the scene," Monee police Chief Scott Koerner said Thursday.
The family had moved into the home in the 4900 block of Main Street in December, according to Koerner, whose first day on the job as chief in the far south suburb was Wednesday.
About 8:10 p.m. Wednesday, Monee police received a call about shots fired in the home. The caller said "the assailant had a gun," and then the line was disconnected, Koerner said.
Police arrived and found Tiffany Lee, 37, who was transported to St. James Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, Koerner said. The Cook County medical examiner ruled her death a homicide from multiple gunshot wounds. The 15-year-old daughter, who also was shot, was transported to South Suburban Hospital and later released, Koerner said.
At 9:14 p.m., Will County sheriff’s police and University Park police discovered Damien A. Lee, 40, about a mile a way, in the parking lot of an industrial trucking center in the 25000 block of Will-Center Road just south of Dralle Road in University Park, Koerner said.
"The suspect was found inside the car," Koerner said. "He was deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound."
Damien Lee was pronounced dead at 10:55 p.m., according to the Will County coroner’s office. The cause and manner of death are still being investigated by the coroner’s office.
"At this point in the investigation we have reason to believe that no one else was involved in this tragic incident," Koerner said.
Police said Damien Lee used a 9mm semi-automatic revolver, and were investigating whether he had a valid Firearms Owner Identification card.
Police had received one call for a domestic argument involving the Lees at their home since they moved in late last year, Koerner said. No arrests were made at that time.
"We don’t know when the last homicide was in Monee, but I’m sure it was 30 to 35 years ago at least," said Koerner.
Erin Gallagher is a freelance reporter.
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