Man injures wife, then kills himself in Bloomingdale

When Richard and Shannon Painter returned from a motorcycle ride, a neighbor who watched the Bloomingdale couple's daughter late Monday told police they seemed in good spirits.

But, only about an hour later, police said the husband opened fire on his wife as she fled their east-side townhouse, then killed himself, while horrified neighbors watched.

Authorities rushed to the 200 block of Millcreek Lane at 10:19 p.m. Monday after several homeowners reported hearing gunshots in their Westlake subdivision.

Officers found 36-year-old Richard Painter lying dead in the street near his townhouse. His semi-automatic handgun was near his hand. His wife, Shannon, 28, who was conscious, was on the ground nearby with multiple gunshot wounds.

Rescuers rushed her to Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, where she was listed Tuesday in fair to good condition with stable vital signs. The couple's 8-year-old daughter was not physically harmed. Her maternal grandmother, Sandra Egan, who is caring for the child, said she did not witness her father's death.

Egan said she was not aware of any domestic disturbances in her daughter's nine-year marriage. She said her son-in-law did not abuse alcohol or drugs or suffer mental issues common in domestic situations.

She declined to elaborate further. "We're still trying to absorb it," Egan said.

Bloomingdale Deputy Police Chief Frank Giammarese said the couple picked their daughter up from a neighbor about 9 p.m. Monday after returning from an evening motorcycle ride. The neighbor later reported the couple seemed "in good spirits," according to police.

Shortly later, Richard Painter is accused of trying to restrain his wife with plastic cable ties during an argument that began in their townhouse. Shannon Painter broke free and ran into the street. Police said Richard Painter trailed her and opened fire. Shannon fell to the ground.

Neighbor James Crubaugh placed one of the dozen 911 calls police said they received. He was watching TV when he heard the gunfire.

"At first, I thought it was firecrackers and then I heard yelling," he said. "It almost sounded like a running gun battle."

Crubaugh, whose daughter often played at the couple's home, said he waited for the gunfire to stop and then went outside to investigate. That's when he saw Richard Painter standing in the street with the gun pointed at his forehead.

"He turned and looked at me and I backed up," said Crubaugh, who continued watching through a large bush. "He was yelling (toward another neighbor's house) to give him his daughter. The mother was laying on the ground and she was yelling, 'Don't do it! Don't do it!' Then, he pulled the trigger."

Police still are investigating what led to the violence. It was the first time they were ever called to the couple's home. There were no divorce or protective orders pending in DuPage County, according to circuit clerk court records.

"All we know is that this was a domestic quarrel that went really bad," Giammarese said. "She's very fortunate to be alive."

He said Richard Painter had a valid firearm owner's identification card. Detectives went returned to the subdivision Tuesday to re-interview neighbors who witnessed the violence. Police also investigated where Richard Painter bought the gun.

The husband did not have a violent criminal history. He grew up in Downers Grove. Authorities said he worked for a DuPage County municipality in some sort of building or maintenance work.

Shannon Painter is an x-ray technician at Central DuPage Hospital, where she is recuperating. Her mother said her daughter, one of five children, grew up in Wheaton.