Waukegan attempted home invasion leaves 2 dead, gun recovered

WAUKEGAN, Ill., (WLS) -- Waukegan police said an attempted home invasion left two men dead in the front yard of a home Tuesday morning.

"I cannot remember the last time we had two people try and break into a home, if that is what happened, where they are shot in the front yard," said Waukegan Police Department Commander Joe Florip. "This is an isolated and specific incident, and I do not remember anything like this happening."

The shooting happened at around 10 a.m. Tuesday at a home in the 100-block of Frolic Avenue.

Waukegan police said someone inside of the home called 911 around 10 a.m. after they said two men, armed with a gun, tried to break into their house.

"They thought that the house was empty and they didn't think anyone was there," said the aunt of one of the home's residents.

The aunt, who only gave her first name Lorena, said her niece was home around 10 a.m. when two men came to the door disguised as gas company employees, or something similar.

"They were knocking the door down with their feet, she just opened it a little bit to see who it was, and they forced themselves in," she said

Huddled inside the home, she said her niece screamed for help.

"All I know is she started yelling for the roommate and he came up, that's when he went back down and got a gun and came back up," Lorena said.

She said the roommate started firing from inside the house, and police said one of the two attempting intruders fired too.

"It was in like two to three intervals," said Devarre Ervin, neighbor. "I heard like a 'dun dun dun dun dun.' My dogs were barking. That's why I came to my door to check."

The resident's aunt said her niece was watching a young child and ran out the back door as bullets flew back and forth.

Police said they aren't sure who fired first, but they said both alleged intruders were shot dead in the front yard.

"I was watching TV and heard them and I looked outside. You heard the three 'pops' and then two 'pops,'" said John Schneider, neighbor.

"I saw the bodies and just kind of stood back like 'woah,'" said Ervin.

Detectives said they found at least one gun on the suspects, but have not yet said who the suspects are or why they chose to target the home on Frolic Avenue.

Family said everyone inside the home is shaken up but OK.

"If she would have been by herself, it would have been a totally different story," the woman's aunt said.