21 July 2023 , 15:31
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A firearms training teacher accidentally shot and killed his wife before turning the weapon on himself, according to police.
Simeon Hendrickson, 61, of Bolingbrook, Illinois, was at home cleaning one of his handguns when it "accidentally discharged" at around 5.45pm on Saturday, July 15. The "round struck his wife", Laurie Hendrickson, 60, according to police.
Bolingbrook Police said: "Simeon Hendrickson then took his own life with the handgun and was pronounced dead at the scene."
Police responded to the home after receiving reports of a man who accidentally shot himself while cleaning his gun. While on the way to the scene, reports say "additional information indicated two shots had possibly been fired and a second person may have been shot."
Mr Hendrickson was pronounced dead on the scene. Laurie Hendrickson was taken to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead, according to police.
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In a Facebook post, which appears no longer publicly available, their son grieved the loss of his parents. Derek Hendrickson wrote: "They were loved and respected by many and were the greatest parents anyone could have ever ask[ed] for."
In a statement, police said: "Upon arrival, officers located two persons with gunshot wounds. A 61-year-old male was pronounced dead at the scene. A 60-year-old female was transported to an area hospital for treatment."
A later update from police read: "The preliminary investigation has indicated Simeon S Hendrickson, 61, of Bolingbrook, was working on one of his handguns in his residence when it accidentally discharged and the round struck his wife, Laurie J Hendrickson, 60, of Bolingbrook.
"Simeon Hendrickson then took his own life with the handgun and was pronounced dead at the scene. Laurie Hendrickson was transported to an area hospital where she was later pronounced dead. The incident remains under investigation."
Public posts on Mr Hendrickson's Facebook page indicate he taught concealed carry classes at a suburban Chicago facility. In 2021, the most recent year for which complete data is available, there were 549 accidental gun deaths in the US.
According to the Pew Research Center, more Americans "died of gun-related injuries in 2021 than in any other year on record, according to the latest available statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."
The data includes both gun murders and gun suicides. However, despite the increase in such fatalities, the rate of gun deaths, which accounts for the country's growing population, remained below the level of earlier decades.
In total, 2021 saw 48,830 people die from gun-related injuries in the US. That includes both gun murders and gun suicides as well as accidental, incidents involving law enforcement and deaths whose circumstances could not be determined. The data excludes deaths in which gunshot injuries played a contributing, but not principal, role.