Cops: Man kills 3 family members, dies of unknown causes
ROBBINS, Ill. - Police say a suburban Chicago man shot and killed his wife and two of his children before he died of unknown causes.
Robbins Police Chief Mitchell Davis says 43-year-old Michael Worsham shot his 17-year-old son in the head on Sunday before pulling his wife out of bed and fatally shooting her. He also shot his 15-year-old daughter in the back as she tried to flee, then went outside, shot her again and dragged her back into the house.
A 14-year-old stepson escaped with the boy's 5-year-old nephew.
“That 14-year-old’s a hero. He saved his life, and he saved the life of his 5-year-old nephew, and we thank God that he was able to do that,” Davis said, according to CBS Chicago.
Davis said Monday that police don't yet have a motive for the slayings. They say Michael Worsham's body had no gunshot wounds and his cause of death was not yet clear.
Sources tell CBS Chicago Worsham died of an apparent heart attack. An autopsy was scheduled for Monday.
According to the station, the 14-year-old wrestled with Worsham for the weapon until Worsham said he would let the boy go if he let go of the gun. The 14-year-old was able to safely make it to a neighbor’s house with the 5-year-old. Worsham’s 15-year-old daughter was attempting to follow them to safety when she was shot.Worsham reportedly had two criminal convictions on his record – a 1988 guilty plea on an unknown charge, for which he served one year of probation; and a 1995 guilty plea to a weapons charge, for which he served 18 months probation. He also was issued 33 traffic tickets from 1990 to 2013.Authorities say they had no record of domestic violence at the home.