Midwest veterinarian wrote multiple suicide notes then killed his elderly parents, girlfriend, son and himself at home, cops say
An Illinois veterinarian was said to have left multiple suicide notes before he killed his elderly parents, longtime girlfriend and son, and took his own life.
Bryan Schmidt, 51, who ran the Northern Illinois Cat Clinic in Libertyville, left suicide notes inside his vehicle and at his parents’ home in the Chicago suburb of Mundelein, where cops said they found the five victims dead on Sunday night.
Officers were initially dispatched to the house on Wellington Avenue for a wellbeing check after a concerned family member reported that they were having trouble reaching their relatives.
When police then arrived on the scene, they found James Schmidt, 80, Rebecca Schmidt, 77, Maclaine Schmidt, 22, Nicole Heiser, 37, and Bryan dead at the scene.
All five appeared to have been shot at close range with a handgun, and a preliminary investigation determined they were likely killed in a murder-suicide, police said.
The local coroner’s office later determined that James and Rebecca, Bryan’s parents, died from multiple gunshot wounds while Maclaine, Bryan’s son, and Heiser, his longtime girlfriend, died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Bryan was also found to have died of an intraoral gunshot wound to the head, which the Coroner’s Office said appeared to be the result of a suicide.
Two handguns were later found at the scene, according to the Lake & McHenry County Scanner.
Veterinarian Bryan Schmidt, 51, was said to have left multiple suicide notes before he gunned down his family on Sunday. He is pictured with his longtime girlfriend, Nicole Heiser
Officers were called to a home in the Chicago suburb of Mundelein for a welfare check when they discovered five victims dead from gunshot wounds inside. Source: Google
A motive for the brutal killings remains unclear, with the police department saying it had no prior contact with Bryan or any of the other victims.
Following the killings, officers were seen placing crime scene tape around a Volkswagen Jetta and going door-to-door to speak with neighbors.
Police are now analyzing evidence collected at the scene, including electronic devices, to better determine what had happened.
‘The Mundelein Police Department extends its condolences to the victims’ loved ones and recognizes the impact this tragedy has had on our community,’ it said in a statement.
‘We ask the public to respect the privacy of the families during this difficult time.’
But Heiser’s brother-in-law Paul Delfeld said his wife and mother-in-law ‘are in pieces, trying to make sense of everything.’
He said Heiser ‘was betrayed, shot and killed by her boyfriend of 11 years.’
He described Heiser as ‘a caring, beautiful soul who cared deeply for her family.
‘One would be hard-pressed to find another person more loyal than Nicole,’ he wrote in an online fundraiser for her funeral expenses. ‘She had an unparalleled love for animals and dedicated her life to caring for them as a veterinary technician.’
Among the victims was Bryan’s mother, Rebecca Schmidt, 77, who was remembered as a friendly neighbor
Bryan also allegedly gunned down his longtime girlfriend, Nicole Heiser, 37, and his son, Maclaine Schmidt, 22
Neighbors have also shared how Rebecca would take regular walks across the neighborhood, and said she was beloved by those who knew her.
‘She was a friendly person. She’d wave to people. She’d have conversations with all kinds of neighbors,’ one resident told ABC 7.
‘I’m horrified,’ the neighbor added. ‘I’m horrified that this would happen to somebody and somebody that I know.’
Rosa Bernel also told the outlet how she works at the clinic the couple once owned, describing the family as ‘very nice people; the best bosses I had in my whole life.’
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.
