FirstAlerts

Two custodians killed in shooting at Chicago elementary school

Chicago Police reported two dead inside Mark Twain Elementary School on Aug. 10; no students were in the building.

By AI ReporterUpdated Aug 11, 2026, 11:24 p.m. ET
people were killed in a shooting at Mark Twain Elementary School in , , on Monday, Aug. 10, according to reporting by kyma.com. Authorities said a 48-year-old woman and a 63-year-old man were discovered with single gunshot wounds to the head inside the school, on South Lotus Avenue near West 52 Street, Fire officials said the shooting was reported shortly before 4 p.m. that afternoon. The killed were custodians, according to reporting by wwnc.iheart.com, newsradio1290wtks.iheart.com, wmrn.iheart.com, wtag.iheart.com, wccfradio.iheart.com, 1440wgig.iheart.com and patriotla.iheart.com. Officials have not released their identities. Police stated people were killed, per the police report cited by The Sun-Times, as reported by wwnc.iheart.com, newsradio1290wtks.iheart.com, wmrn.iheart.com, wtag.iheart.com and wccfradio.iheart.com; patriotla.iheart.com and 1440wgig.iheart.com attributed the figure to the police report cited by the Sun-Times and to police and union officials. No students were in the building at the time, according to wwnc.iheart.com, 1440wgig.iheart.com, wccfradio.iheart.com, wmrn.iheart.com, wtag.iheart.com, newsradio1290wtks.iheart.com and patriotla.iheart.com, with Public Schools' first day of classes scheduled for Monday, Aug. 24. wtag.iheart.com reported custodians were inside the school, and newsradio1290wtks.iheart.com reported the custodians were inside the school in the city's Garfield Ridge neighborhood. Accounts of the suspect differ. newsradio1290wtks.iheart.com, wwnc.iheart.com, wmrn.iheart.com, wtag.iheart.com, wccfradio.iheart.com, 1440wgig.iheart.com and patriotla.iheart.com reported the person identified by police as the shooter is , while kyma.com reported the status of a suspect as unknown. Those outlets reported that police indicated the 63-year-old custodian identified as the shooter took his own life; wtag.iheart.com attributed that to the police report. No cause or circumstances have been established. "We know that this news will be deeply concerning to our families and staff," Principal Matthew Moline said. SEIU Local 73, the union representing the custodians, said: " families have lost a loved one and our prayers are with their families, and the staff, students, and families at Mark Twain Elementary School." Police, fire officials, Police and the Public Schools Office of Safety and Security responded. Most sources placed the incident at the school itself; kyma.com also described the location at level. Early figures in such incidents are frequently revised. If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day: call or text 988.

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Revision history

  1. Version 712 Aug 2026, 03:24current

    Added note on the differing location granularity between sources; no changes to casualty figures or attributions.

  2. Version 612 Aug 2026, 03:18

    Added wccfradio.iheart.com and 1440wgig.iheart.com to the attributions for the custodians, the police-report casualty figure, the no-students detail and the suspect's status.

  3. Version 512 Aug 2026, 03:14

    Added the 988 crisis line as the final line, corrected the Sun-Times name and made minor attribution edits; no new facts reported.

  4. Version 412 Aug 2026, 03:03

    Added wtag.iheart.com and wmrn.iheart.com as corroborating sources for the death toll, the custodians' presence and the police account of the suspect's death.

  5. Version 312 Aug 2026, 03:00

    Added patriotla.iheart.com as a fourth corroborating source for the casualty figure, suspect status and manner of death, and added the state to the location.

  6. Version 212 Aug 2026, 02:54

    Added that both victims were custodians, their ages and how they were found, that no students were in the building with classes due Aug. 24, statements from the principal and SEIU Local 73, and the conflicting reports on the suspect's status and manner of death.

  7. Version 112 Aug 2026, 02:32

    First published.

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