Lincoln Middle School assistant principal Nerissa Lee killed in Berwyn shooting
One of the three people killed in a shooting outside a Berwyn, Illinois middle school has been identified as the school's assistant principal.
Berwyn North School District 98 Superintendent Dr. Michelle Smith posted a message to the community on the district's Facebook page identifying one of the victims as Nerissa Lee, an assistant principal at Lincoln Middle School.
"It is with great sadness that I announce to you that Nerissa Lee, Assistant Principal at Lincoln Middle School, lost her life in yesterday's tragic shooting that occurred outside of Lincoln," Smith wrote.
Smith said instruction at the school will resume on Thursday, and there will be counselors available to students and staff.
"As a reminder, this was a domestic violence incident and there is no ongoing threat to the school community," Smith wrote.
People in the community said Lee was a well-liked teacher before she became an administrator. One student said she would see students off at the end of the school day.
Students and parents stopped by the school on Wednesday to pay their respects and leave flowers at a makeshift memorial for the 46-year-old.
Dayven Williams, a seventh grader at the school, was one of the mourners who visited the memorial.
"I came down here to pay my respects to the assistant principal and the other people that lost their lives," he said.
Another seventh grader, Christopher Cruz-Villogoez, met with counselors to speak about the incident.
"I feel like mixed emotions, like confused. I feel sad. A little bit, yeah, and a little bit anger as well," he said.
Cruz-Villogoez was one of the 100 kids inside participating in after-school activities when the school went into lockdown. No students were hurt. He said he did not hear the gunshots that were picked up by neighboring cameras.
"I was like scared, like I was talking to my mom like like you shouldn't come here because it was a little bit dangerous," he said. "Because I was scared because of what was happening, and it was very scary, and I didn't want her to be a part of the situation either."
Police responded to the school in the 6400 block of 16th Street around 4 p.m. Tuesday when shots were fired. Officers happened to be nearby when they heard around 20 shots ring out.
Berwyn police said officers saw a man shooting a rifle into another car. As they approached, police said the man opened fire on the officers, who took cover and did not return gunfire. The shooter then apparently turned the gun on himself; police said he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Berwyn police posted a statement to their Facebook page after Lee was identified, writing in part, "The impact of this loss is felt deeply not only within the school community but throughout Berwyn. Assistant Principal Lee was a dedicated educator and leader who touched the lives of countless students and staff members."
The Cook County Medical Examiner's office identified another person who died in the shooting as Steven Lee, 54. The third person who was killed has not been identified.