A Chicago elementary school shooting left two custodians dead after police say a veteran worker shot a colleague and then himself at Mark Twain Elementary.
A Chicago elementary school shooting ended with two school custodians dead Monday afternoon after police say a veteran employee shot a female co-worker inside Mark Twain Elementary School and then killed himself. The violence unfolded around 3:40 p.m. inside the school building, turning a routine day at the South Side campus into a police investigation and a moment of fear for families and staff.
Chicago police said the victims were a 63-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman, both identified by their union as custodians. A police spokesperson told The Post that the pair were found unresponsive with single gunshot wounds to the head. According to police reports cited by the Chicago Sun-Times, the man approached the woman from behind as she walked down a hallway and shot her at close range before going to the school office and shooting himself. Both were taken to local hospitals in critical condition and later pronounced dead, police said.
The police report said the 63-year-old veteran custodian was upset about being relocated from the school after 20 years on the job. Audio from police radio communications obtained by WLS also captured officers describing one female victim in the hallway and reporting that the shooter had turned the gun on himself, with a firearm found nearby. The incident has been treated by investigators as an apparent murder-suicide.
Mark Twain Elementary School confirmed that shots were fired inside the building in a message to its community. The school said it was deeply saddened by what had happened and told parents and staff that members of the school community had been affected. It also said it would provide more information as the investigation moved forward and stressed that it was taking the situation seriously to protect the safety of students, staff, and families.
βA Chicago elementary school shooting left two custodians dead after police say a veteran worker shot a colleague and then himself at Mark Twain Elementary.β
The Chicago elementary school shooting is the latest reminder of how quickly violence can shatter the sense of security that parents expect from a neighborhood school. Elementary campuses are supposed to be among the most controlled and protected places in American life, which is why a shooting inside one sends such a jolt through the community. Even when the victims are adults, the setting raises immediate concerns about access, security, and the strain placed on school workers who keep buildings running every day.
Custodians, janitors, and other support staff often work long hours behind the scenes with little public attention, yet they are part of the daily fabric of a school. In this case, the police reportβs account suggests a workplace dispute ended in deadly violence inside the building itself. That makes the case more than a local tragedy; it is also a warning about how unresolved conflict can explode in places where children and staff should feel safest.
Authorities are still piecing together the sequence of events, but the central facts are stark: two school workers are dead, the gunfire happened inside an elementary school, and the school community is left to absorb the shock. For American readers, the case underscores the need to watch how districts respond when violence enters a school building and how they support the people who keep those schools running. The takeaway: a deadly workplace dispute inside Mark Twain Elementary has left Chicago families and school staff confronting the reality that school safety is about more than classrooms alone.
Frequently asked questions
What happened at Mark Twain Elementary School?
Police say a 63-year-old custodian shot a female co-worker inside the school and then shot himself. Both were later pronounced dead at hospitals.
When did the shooting happen?
Chicago police said the incident unfolded around 3:40 p.m. Monday inside the school building.
Why did police say the shooting may have happened?
A police report said the veteran custodian was upset about being relocated from the school after 20 years on the job.
How did the school respond?
Mark Twain Elementary said it was deeply saddened, confirmed shots were fired inside the building, and said it would share more information as the investigation proceeds.
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