Two custodians were found fatally shot inside Mark Twain Elementary School in Chicago’s Garfield Ridge neighborhood on Monday afternoon, police confirmed. The victims, a 48-year-old woman and a 63-year-old man, were each discovered with a single gunshot wound to the head and pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Authorities recovered a firearm at the scene and continue to investigate the incident.
No students were present in the building at the time of the shooting, according to the school’s principal. The Chicago Police Department received a call reporting the incident at approximately 3:40 p.m. from the 5100-block of South Lotus Avenue.
The victims were identified as school custodians by their union, which issued a statement expressing condolences to the families and the school community. The union’s statement read, in part, “Two families have lost a loved one and our prayers are with their families, and the staff, students, and families at Mark Twain Elementary School.”
The Chicago Police Department has not disclosed what led to the gunfire. Audio from police radio communications indicated reports of a shooter, including statements such as “The shooter shot himself in the head” and “There is a firearm right next to the offender.” However, police have not confirmed whether the shooter was among the victims or another individual.
The incident has raised concerns among parents about school safety ahead of the upcoming academic year. Felicia Puga, a parent whose daughter is set to begin second grade in two weeks, expressed shock at the violence. “This is ridiculous. Fourteen days until school. And janitors, people that are in the school with my child,” Puga said. “Imagine if a new student wanted to come in here to the office. They're with their parents.”
The school, located just north of Chicago’s Midway International Airport, remains closed as investigators continue their work. The Chicago Police Department has not released further details about the investigation, including the identity of the victims or any potential suspects.