Two Custodians Fatally Shot at Chicago Elementary School

Two school custodians were fatally shot inside Mark Twain Elementary School in Chicago on Monday afternoon, in an incident police are investigating as an apparent murder-suicide. The shooting occurred on August 10, 2026, at approximately 3:40 p.m. at the school located in the 5100 block of South Lotus Avenue in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood.

Chicago police responded to an emergency call and found a 48-year-old woman and a 63-year-old man, both custodians, each with a single gunshot wound to the head. Both were transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where they were pronounced dead. A firearm was recovered at the scene. Preliminary police radio transmissions indicated the shooting stemmed from a disagreement between the two employees, with one of the victims found in the school's lunchroom. Authorities have not publicly confirmed which victim they believe fired the fatal shots, and the investigation is ongoing.

No students were present at the time of the incident, as classes at Mark Twain Elementary are scheduled to begin on August 24. Principal Matthew Moline confirmed this in a letter to parents, stating that the school immediately contacted the Chicago...