Man kills self after looking for ex at Near West Side dental office, police say
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Police said a man fatally shot himself after a domestic incident at a dentist's office on Chicago's Near West Side.
The incident took place Thursday morning at a dental office in the 1000-block of West Madison.
Witnesses said they heard one gunshot and heard a woman scream. A man's body was found in an alley behind the dental office.
Police said identified the man as convicted felon Clint Engle, 40. Engle fatally shot himself after entering the office and waving a gun while looking for his ex-girlfriend Thursday morning.
Engle served more than 10 years in prison after being convicted in 2002 of attacking a woman's father and beating him with a club.
Engle entered Skyline Smiles in the West Loop, where the woman works as an office manager, just before 11 a.m., police said.
No other injuries were reported.
Chicago police are investigating a possible connection to a home burglary in Plainfield Thursday morning in which a gun was stolen.
Cell phone video capturing the woman frantically running toward police after her ex-boyfriend shot himself.
When she saw the shooter, witnesses say she ran for her life, pleading for help.
"This lady came running out to us and at first we thought it was some kind of scam because she was yelling, 'Let me get your phone. Let me get your phone!'" said Josh Lara, Good Samaritan.
Three workers from a moving company hid her in their truck parked in the alley before taking her inside a nearby building.
"We ended up going up to our customer's building, up to his apartment. Later I found out that the guy went out to the alley looking for her, and we didn't know that there was any relation," said Josh Lara, Good Samaritan.
"The cop pulled up next to us and said 'Hey, you are the ones that saved her life. That was the girl he was looking for. He didn't find her so he took his own life,'" said Cody Grant, Good Samaritan.
Greg Matoesian was at the dental office along with several other patients and employees.
"I am sitting in the dentist chair getting my teeth looked at, and the dentist just coming in and introducing himself, and all of sudden he says, 'Come with me,' and 'Get out here.'"
They ran out the back door into the alley.
"I see the guy come out with what looked like some type of small assault rifle, and I heard a shot, and I just took off," Matoesian said.
The owner of Skyline Smiles says his employee believes the man was out to kill her.
"Luckily, you know, that didn't happen. Luckily, she was able to get out of there, and we are happy that she is safe," said Dr. Deepak Neduvelil, Skyline Smiles.
Without the help of these movers, the woman could have been in the line of fire.
"As everything was wrapping up, the cop pulled up next to us and said, 'Hey, you are the ones who saved her life. That was the girl he was looking for.' He didn't find her so he took his own life," Grant said.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
