Stand-off in Waukegan ends after suspect kills self

A nearly 19-hour standoff with police in Waukegan ended violently Tuesday night with the apparent suicide of the suspect.

Deputy Police Chief Daniel Greathouse said the suspect, who had been identified as one of three men in a home invasion Monday night, killed himself with a single gunshot shortly after 8:30 p.m. after exchanging fire with officers.

Negotiations with the suspect, whom police were not identifying late Tuesday, see-sawed throughout the day and kept police hoping for a peaceful solution.

"There were a number of times when we believed he was going to come out, but each time he failed to do so," Greathouse said. "We believe we demonstrated a lot of patience and restraint throughout this very long day."

The events began around 7 p.m. Monday when three men burst into a home in the 2300 block of North Corona Drive in Waukegan.

The men tied up a woman inside the house, then took several weapons from a gun safe there and fled.

Greathouse said the weapons included .45- and .357-caliber handguns, a .22-caliber rifle and several WWII-era weapons, including a Chinese-manufactured rifle and bayonet.

The woman identified the three suspects from a photo array, Greathouse said, and the suspect in the standoff was traced to his home in the 1600 block of 11th Avenue on the border between Waukegan and North Chicago.

When detectives went there about 3 a.m. Tuesday, Greathouse said the suspect, who had recently been paroled from prison on a robbery conviction, said he would shoot anyone who attempted to enter.

"We pulled back and called out the SWAT team," Greathouse said. "Later in the morning we were able to toss him a telephone and we began negotiations."

Greathouse described the talks with the gunman as relaxed for most of the day, although he did say the suspect was concerned he would be shot if he came out of the house.

In spite of police attempts to ensure the man he would be safe if he came out with his hands up, and despite several indications that he was about to do so, the situation stalemated.

Around 6 p.m., Greathouse said the suspect fired between seven and eight shots at police armored vehicles parked around the residence.

Police responded with four canisters of CS tear gas and a device which produces a bright flash and loud explosion, but is not lethal.

The suspect cut off communication about an hour before the shots were fired, Greathouse said, and contacted police only once more before the ordeal ended.

At approximately 8:30 p.m., the suspect had retreated to a bedroom in the back of the first floor of the house and began firing at police again, Greathouse said.

"Our officers fired four shots into the house, which we do not believe struck the offender," Greathouse said. "A short time later, we heard a single gunshot from inside the house."

Police entered the house after a short wait, Greathouse said, and found the suspect on the floor of the bedroom with a large-caliber handgun in his hand.

Police said a second suspect in the home invasion was in custody late Tuesday, but his identity was unavailable.

Waukegan police turned the investigation over to the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force and said they expected to make more information available today.