Wheaton man dead of gunshot wound to face

Editor's note: This story has been altered from the original.

Authorities say a 51-year-old Wheaton man found dead in Chicago early Thursday was killed by a gunshot wound to the face.

Lionel Lane was discovered shortly before 2 a.m. on the 4600 block of West Monroe Street in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. His death has been ruled a homicide, the Cook County medical examiner's office said.

Chicago Police Officer Mike Sullivan said a woman found Lane's body and began screaming. Lane was pronounced dead at the scene.

Lane's listed address is the 700 block of Liberty Drive in Wheaton, the same address as DuPage PADS, which assists homeless people in DuPage County. He also has lived in Addison and Downers Grove, court records show.

DuPage PADS Executive Director Carol Simler said that for the past few years Lane stayed in various night shelters set up across the county through the agency, and used its Wheaton center as his address.

Lane also lived on and off with longtime girlfriend and served as a father figure to her 7-year-old daughter, according to woman's mother.

“He was a good father to my granddaughter and worked when he could,” the Schiller Park woman said. “He was a very skilled auto mechanic, but he said it was difficult to get a job.”

She said her daughter called Thursday afternoon from the morgue to inform her about Lane's death. She told her mother they were visiting Lane's nephew in Chicago when she left the house to go to the store. She said she was approached by two armed men, and that Lane came to her defense.

“I'm not sure why (she) was out so late, but (Lionel) tried to help her and got shot between the eyes,” she said.

Chicago police wouldn't comment on the account, saying only that their investigation continues.

Ÿ Daily Herald staff writers Josh Stockinger and Kimberly Pohl contributed to this report