Police: Cary man fatally shoots himself after menacing teens with a gun, mask

A Cary man died from a self-inflicted gunshot after he was reported to be brandishing a gun and menacing two teen girls near the Fel-Pro RRR Conservation Area in Cary, officials report.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call at approximately 3:25 p.m. to the area of Fox River and North Harvest Glen roads near Cary for a report of two teen girls being approached by a “suspicious man,” Lake County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Christopher Covelli said in a news release.

The two teens were walking when a sedan, driven by a 32-year-old Cary man, “pulled in front of them, parked in the direction they were walking and exited wearing a mask,” Covelli said in the release. The girls ran toward their home and notified the father and older brother of one of the girls.

The father and brother drove through the subdivision and located the car, which drove into their path. The driver got out and brandished a gun, Covelli said. A 911 call was placed, dispatching the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office to the scene.

A sheriff’s deputy and a McHenry County Conservation District police officer found the car and attempted to pull over the driver in a parking lot near Crystal Lake Road and Foxford Drive.

“The driver of the car retrieved the firearm and shot himself,“ Covelli said in the release.

The driver was taken to a hospital in Lake County, where he was later pronounced dead. An autopsy is being scheduled by the Lake County Coroner’s Office. The McHenry County Conservation District police are investigating the death and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the preceding events, Covelli said.

“This is undoubtedly a tragic situation for everyone involved,” Covelli said in the release. “The teens in this case did the right thing by not engaging with the man and running away, while summoning trusted adults to help them. We are very thankful they are safe.”