Brother: 'He never owned a gun'

Michael Giroux never owned a gun, his brother said Sunday, which is partly why his family is struggling with the reality that he shot and killed his ex-girlfriend, Arlington Heights real estate agent Cindy Bischof, and then killed himself.

"He never owned a gun in his life. And my family never had guns," said Denis Giroux, of Fox River Grove. "I have no idea (where he got it). None."

Elmhurst Police are investigating where Michael Giroux got the gun he used in the March 7 murder-suicide, which happened outside Bischof's real estate office. No one from the Elmhurst police department was available for comment Sunday.

Arlington Heights Police confirmed that Michael Giroux had been in and out of psychiatric hospitals, his last stay being this past fall.

The Giroux family spoke out for the first time Sunday because they wanted to express how terrible they feel about Bischof's murder.

"The family is shocked and horrified," Denis Giroux said. "We're in disbelief and feel awful about what he did. We can't get by that."

Bischof, 43, broke up with Michael Giroux, 60, last year after a nearly 3-year relationship. After she asked him to move out of her Arlington Heights home, he constantly threatened and stalked her, police and Bischof's family members said.

Bischof took all of the steps she could to protect herself from Giroux, including orders of protection, security cameras at her home, cutting off contact with him and keeping her whereabouts secret. It wasn't enough to save her.

Michael Giroux grew up in Oak Park and River Forest as the youngest of 11 kids. Denis Giroux, who is the third oldest child in the family, said he and his brother were not close but he knew Michael was having suicidal thoughts in recent months. He attributed it to a combination of things, including his divorce, the loss of his job, and most recently, his breakup with Bischof. However, Denis Giroux said he never dreamed his brother could hurt anyone.

"We knew he was suicidal. We thought that it was all he was capable of. We weren't sure he was even capable of that," he said.

Denis Giroux said Bischof was a great woman and he wanted to attend her wake but worried it would be inappropriate. The police also advised against it, he said.

Giroux said he wrote a note to Bischof's brother, Mike, in an effort to talk about what happened, but hadn't heard back from him.

Bischof's family could not be reached for comment Sunday night.