Father Kills His 10-year-old Twins

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

Chicago police suspect Derrick Sanders killed his 10-year-old twin sons before committing suicide. Authorities discovered the body of the 45-year-old man in the hallway of his apartment in West Rogers Park, according to the Chicago Sun Times and local stations WBBM and WLS. Sanders was reportedly shot in the face. The police also found the corpses of his daughter and his 10-year-old son. The minors - who died from gunshots to the head - were identified as the Addison and Mason Sanders twins, PEOPLE confirmed.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi wrote on Twitter after the tragedy: “Our condolences go out to the family affected by this senseless murder and suicide. A cowardly father took the life of his two 10-year-old sons before killing himself with the same gun."

Gugliemi of the Chicago Police Department added that the father had no criminal history prior to the incident. Leslie Lawrence, a neighbor who lives underneath Sanders' apartment, told the Chigago Sun Times that she woke up to the sound of three gunshots about 5:15 am. After each shot, there was a pause, the neighbor recalls. Lawrence told the newspaper that Sanders appeared to be depressed. "I saw it in his face and in his tone," said the neighbor, who never suspected that he would harm her children.

The children lived with their mother but visited the father on weekends, according to the newspaper. "I don't know why he did this," another neighbor, Brenda Adams, told the Chicago Sun Times. "I know he had his problems but he loved his children, this doesn't make sense."