A 48-year-old woman and 63-year-old man died after being found shot at Mark Twain Elementary School during summer break.
CHICAGO — Two custodians died Monday after they were found shot inside Mark Twain Elementary School on Chicago’s Southwest Side, authorities and their union said. No students were inside the building when the shooting occurred, and police were investigating what led to the deaths.
Chicago police responded about 3:40 p.m. Aug. 10 to the school at 5134 S. Lotus Ave. in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood. Officers found a 48-year-old woman and a 63-year-old man with gunshot wounds inside the building. Both were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where they were pronounced dead. Their names had not been publicly released.
SEIU Local 73, which represents custodians working for Chicago Public Schools, confirmed that both people who died were custodians. The union expressed condolences to their relatives and the wider school community. The deaths came less than two weeks before students were expected to return to Mark Twain for the new school year.
Police had not publicly announced a confirmed motive or provided a final account of how the shooting unfolded as of Monday night. Preliminary police radio traffic reported by local news organizations indicated investigators were examining whether a disagreement between the custodians preceded the gunfire. The transmissions also raised the possibility of a murder-suicide, but police had not formally confirmed that determination.
A firearm was recovered at the school, according to reports citing police. Authorities had not publicly identified which person fired the weapon or said whether anyone else was involved. Police also had not announced any arrests, and no additional injuries were reported.
The shooting occurred while students were on summer break. Classes at Mark Twain Elementary School are scheduled to begin Aug. 24, according to local reports. School officials said no students were present when the shooting happened, removing the immediate threat to children that afternoon but leaving families and employees facing questions about what occurred inside the building.
Several parents went to the school after learning of the deaths, according to local reports. A message sent to school families acknowledged that members of the school community had been affected and indicated that more information would be shared as it became available. Authorities had not announced whether the investigation would affect the scheduled start of classes.
SEIU Local 73 said its focus was on the families of the two employees and those connected to Mark Twain. The union noted that two families had lost loved ones and offered support to relatives, staff, students and families associated with the school.
Police remained at the school Monday evening while detectives continued their investigation. Authorities had not released the custodians’ identities or a final finding about the circumstances of the shooting, leaving the sequence of events and what prompted the gunfire unresolved.
Author note: Last updated August 10, 2026.