Armed Barricade Leaves 1 Dead, 2 Injured — Including Gunman — In Beecher: Police

BEECHER, IL — An armed barricade Saturday night in Beecher left one dead and two injured, including the gunman, who fired at SWAT officers during the standoff in a residential neighborhood, according to police.

Beecher officers responded shortly after 5 p.m. to Waterford Lane and Somerset Drive for a report of shots fired and arrived to find a male suffering from several gunshot wounds and another barricaded in a home, police said. The injured person was taken to a hospital and officers set up a perimeter and brought in the Will County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, according to police.

Officers made verbal contact with the suspect, who refused to comply and exit the residence after repeated requests to do so, police said.

When SWAT officers arrived, the suspect began firing in their direction. No sheriff's office deputies were injured, although the agency's armored rescue vehicle was damaged by gunfire.

After several hours of trying to negotiate, the SWAT team entered the residence, according to police. Officers were able to break windows at the home and deployed 40 mm tear gas rounds before entering the residence and taking the suspect into custody, the sheriff’s office said. The gunman was flown to a hospital for treatment, according to police. The sheriff’s office said that he was brought to a nearby hospital with injuries around 9:30 p.m.

A search of the home revealed a female suffering from a gunshot wound who later died, police said.

The incident is being investigated by the Will-Grundy Major Crimes Task Force in coordination with the Beecher police, according to authorities.