A suburban Chicago community is mourning after an assistant principal and her mother were fatally shot outside Lincoln Middle School in Berwyn, Illinois, on Tuesday in what authorities described as a murder-suicide, as reported by The New York Post.
The victims were identified as 46-year-old assistant principal Nerissa Lee and her 76-year-old mother. According to police, Lee’s husband, 55-year-old Steven T. Lee, drove up beside their car at the end of the school day and opened fire with a rifle.
A shooting near Lincoln Middle School in Berwyn, Illinois, on Tuesday afternoon resulted in the deaths of three people, including an assistant principal. The gunman fired into a car before turning the gun on himself as officers arrived, with the attack believed to be… pic.twitter.com/drITSXYhRI
— Goofies Of Chicago (@Chicago_Goofies) September 17, 2025
Authorities said Steven Lee then fired at responding officers before turning the weapon on himself. He was later pronounced dead at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Witnesses described hearing nearly two dozen shots during the incident.
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“It was really like 20 times … very noisy, so they made me come to the front. When I came over here, I see by the corner — right there — police,” said Maria Meriz, who lives next to the school, in an interview with NBC 5.
Family members said the couple’s marriage had been under strain for several months.
Nerissa’s sister, Shana Everage, told NBC 5 that the relationship began deteriorating in late June and that tensions had escalated leading up to the shooting. “And basically the boiling point would have been [Tuesday],” Everage said.
“It’s a horrible thing… I have a lot of emotions. I don’t quite know what to feel.”
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The Berwyn Police Department confirmed that officers responded immediately to the scene and were fired upon by Steven Lee before he took his own life. No officers were injured.
🚨BREAKING UPDATE: According to Berwyn police, officers near Lincoln Middle School heard gunfire at approximately 4:05 p.m. Tuesday.
Officers then observed a man firing a long rifle into another vehicle. Those officers were then targeted by gunfire from another suspect, but did… pic.twitter.com/IHkCn5uxb3 — EzeNews (@EzeBets) September 17, 2025
In a statement, Berwyn South School District Superintendent Dr. Michelle Smith informed families of the tragedy.
“It is with great sadness that I announce to you that Nerissa Lee, Assistant Principal at Lincoln Middle School, lost her life in [Tuesday’s] tragic shooting that occurred outside of Lincoln,” Smith wrote.
Police added in a separate statement that the loss has affected the wider community.
“The impact of this loss is deeply felt not only within the school community but throughout Berwyn. Assistant Principal Lee was a dedicated educator and leader who touched the lives of countless students and staff members,” the department said Wednesday.
Three dead, including suspect, in a domestic-related shooting outside Lincoln Middle School in Berwyn, Illinois.
Over 100 kids went into hard lockdown after shots rang out around 4 p.m. Tuesday. Police say suspect died from self-inflicted gunshot. School closed Wed, no… pic.twitter.com/agCCnpRHk2 — GeoTechWar (@geotechwar) September 17, 2025
The city of Berwyn, located just a few miles from downtown Chicago, was ranked the 33rd safest mid-sized city in America in 2023 by national security review platform Safewise.
The murder-suicide has left residents shaken in a community not accustomed to violent crime of this scale.
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