Relatives plead for answers in Hazel Crest triple murder

HAZEL CREST, Ill. (WLS) -- Family members of a father and two daughters who were fatally shot this weekend while in their south suburban Hazel Crest home pleaded for help on Tuesday in finding their killer.

The victims were identified as Dionus Neely, 39, and his children Elle Neely, 10; and Endia Neely, 3. No one is in custody.

Their mother was not only home, but in the room with the rest of the family when the gunfire began.

"This is a horrible, horrible, evil, God-less act," said Erin Ross, the mother of the two girls who were killed and Dionus Neely's wife. "You just don't care! You don't have a heart to take my family away from me!"

Ross was joined by dozens of relatives, friends and neighbors, demanding justice and calling on the killer or killers to be outed.

"We deserve justice! We deserve justice!" Ross said.

"I want them to get caught right away because they took my family away. We're suffering," said Martina Patterson, sister and niece of the victims.

"Let's get big on saying no more. Let's get big on saying I am tired of losing my kids, our children. Tired of losing them," said Linda Wooden, friend of the victim.

Family members said they were frustrated by police suggestions that the shooter targeted Dionus Neely because of his criminal background.

The family is cooperating, according to police, who continued to ask the public for assistance.

At about 2 a.m. Saturday, Dionus Neely, Ross and five children were asleep when bullets flew their home in the 2400-block of Crescent Drive. The mother and three children escaped unharmed. Bullet holes riddle the outside of the house.

"Me and my 1-year-old were in the same room and nothing but the grace of God held us here," Ross said.

"They were loving kids. They were fun kids. They were happy kids, who loved their father," said Martina Patterson, the sister and niece of the victims.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family of the victims.

"These babies hadn't even lived any type of life at all yet," said Paul Flores, a neighbor. "They didn't even know what life was yet. And now they get killed. And it's wrong. And I hope somebody steps up and tells who did it."

The South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call the Hazel Crest Police Department at 708-335-9640, extension No. 1.