Berwyn shooting: 3 dead in firing outside Lincoln Middle School in Chicago suburb, cops launch probe; what you need to know

In a tragic incident, at least three people were killed following an incident of domestic shooting that was reported outside Lincoln Middle School in Berwyn, a suburb west of Chicago, Illinois, on Tuesday afternoon (September 16, 2025), police in suburban Berwyn said. Officers near Lincoln Middle School heard gunfire at approximately 4:05 PM, according to Berwyn police.

Authorities have claimed that after the officers heard the gunfire, they observed a man firing a long rifle into another vehicle. Those officers were then targeted by gunfire from another suspect but did not return fire, according to authorities, as reported by NBC Chicago.

Following the shooting incident, three people sustained injuries due to gunshot wounds, and all of them eventually succumbed and were pronounced dead, according to police. One witness recounted hearing the gunshots in an interview with NBC Chicago. "It was really like 20 times...very noisy, so they made me come to the front. When I came over here, I saw by the corner—right there—police,” the witness identified as Maria Meriz said.


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School placed into lockdown after shooting

The shooting incident sent shockwaves across the region, and the school was immediately placed into a hard lockdown. No reports of injuries surfaced from inside the building.

Shooting was domestic, no threat to public, police

Police emphasized that the shooting was domestic in nature and claimed that there was no threat to the public. Following the shooting incident, Berwyn North School District 98 Superintendent Michelle Smith said in a statement that in the wake of the shooting, classes will be canceled on Wednesday (September 17, 2025), NBC Chicago reported. Social workers and counselors will be on hand to help students process what occurred, the superintendent said.