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The shocking mass murder-suicide in a notoriously safe Illinois village was committed by a veterinarian who gunned down his elderly parents, son and girlfriend before shooting himself dead, according to cops who said he left “multiple suicide notes.”
Bryan Schmidt, who managed his family’s now-shuttered cat clinic, was identified as the deranged killer who slaughtered his family in the Mundelein home he owned with his parents, Rebecca Schmidt, 77, and James, 80, who were among the dead.
Bryan’s 22-year-old son, Maclaine Schmidt, was also found dead with a gunshot wound to the head, as was the killer’s longtime girlfriend, Nicole Heiser, 37, with the bodies found in numerous different rooms.
Bryan Schmidt then killed himself by putting the gun in his mouth, CBS News reported, citing coroners.
“Multiple suicide notes” were “left by Bryan on scene and in his vehicle,” police said, without elaborating on what they said or a possible motive for the bloodbath.
Authorities said they are combing through a “significant amount” of evidence. However, they have yet to suggest why Schmidt, who ran the Northern Illinois Cat Clinic in Libertyville, would wipe out his family in a crime that shocked the suburban Chicago village of Mundelein, which has a crime rate 63% lower than the national average
He never had any interaction with cops, who had never been called to the house before.
Authorities suspect the mass killing happened between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday – but neighbors assumed the gunshots were firecrackers being set off ahead of Sunday’s Chicago Bears game.
The bodies were only found just before midnight when the killer’s 44-year-old sister, Kimberly Schmidt, called from her home some 2,000 miles away in California asking for a welfare check after not hearing from her parents.
The shooting was an isolated incident, authorities say.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.