An Illinois assistant principal was shot and killed outside of her school in what police believe was a domestic violence incident, per PEOPLE.
On Tuesday (September 16), Lincoln Middle School Assistant Principal Nerissa Lee was fatally shot after her husband, Steven Lee, opened fire into a vehicle parked outside the school, the Berwyn Police Department said. Steven shot both his wife and her mother before turning the gun on himself, according to authorities. Police said he also fired at officers who responded to the scene, but didn’t strike anyone. Officers didn’t return fire.
Steven, Nerissa, and her mother were all pronounced dead at the scene. The Cook County Medical Examiner hasn’t publicly identified Nerissa’s mother.
Roughly 100 students were inside the school at the time of the shooting and were placed on lockdown. No students were injured, and classes resumed on Thursday (September 18) with counseling services available.
Police said the shooting was targeted and there was no ongoing threat to the public.
“Assistant Principal Lee was a dedicated educator and leader who touched the lives of countless students and staff members,” the Berwyn Police Department said in a statement. “The impact of this loss is felt deeply not only within the school community but throughout Berwyn.”
The victim’s sister, Shana Everage, said the shooting followed months of escalating tension.
“It didn’t come out of the blue,” Everage said. “It had started ever since I want to say the tail end of June, and basically the boiling point would have been yesterday.”
Students who attended Lee’s memorial service remembered her as a warm and devoted educator.
“She was always, always about her work,” one student said. “She really loved her school, really loved her kids.”
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