Skip to content

Inverness man kills self and son with carbon monoxide, daughter in critical condition

A father in northwest suburban Inverness killed himself and his 10-year-old son Sunday afternoon by carbon monoxide poisoning, authorities said. The man's 6-year-old daughter is currently in critical condition.

Chicago Journal
Chicago Journal
2 min read
Inverness man kills self and son with carbon monoxide, daughter in critical condition

INVERNESS, Ill. - A father in northwest suburban Inverness killed himself and his 10-year-old son Sunday afternoon by carbon monoxide poisoning, authorities said. The man's 6-year-old daughter is currently in critical condition.

We were first alerted to the story as it appeared in the Daily Herald this morning, but we also reached out to Inverness Police for official statement.[1]

The incident began around 4:20 p.m. Sunday afternoon when police responded to a call of an unknown problem on the 2200 block of Palatine Road in northwest suburban Inverness, Illinois.

According to Inverness Police Chief Bob Haas, on arrival, police discovered that a father had not returned his children to their mother on time after their weekend visit, so the mother went to the home of her estranged husband to check on them. Once there, the mother reportedly found the father, along with her son and daughter, unconscious inside the home.

The father and son were pronounced dead at the scene.

First responders took the 6-year-old daughter to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge where she remains in the intensive care unit this afternoon. According to the Arlington Cardinal, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital has the largest hyperbaric treatment center in the state for treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning.[2]

The father was identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office as well as the Inverness Police Department as 41-year-old Woo Chang. The 10-year-old boy was identified as Austin Chang.

Autopsies are scheduled for today, but it appears that they were overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning as investigators reportedly found a gas-powered generator inside the home that had been running so long it had run out of fuel.

Also according to the Daily Herald, police had never been called to the home before this incident.[1:1]


Subscribe to the Chicago Journal


The Chicago Journal needs your support.

At just $12/year, your subscription not only helps us grow, it helps maintain our commitment to independent publishing.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE

If you're already a subscriber and you'd like to send a tip to continue to support the Chicago Journal, which we would greatly appreciate, you can do so at the following link:

Send a tip to the Chicago Journal


Subscribe to the Chicago Journal

Notes & References


  1. Griffin, Jake. “Police: Inverness Father Poisons Children, Killing Son, Critically Injuring Daughter.” Daily Herald. Daily Herald, September 12, 2022. https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20220912/police-inverness-father-poisons-children-killing-son-critically-injuring-daughter. ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. Cardinal News. “Two Dead after Police Respond to 'Family Problem' Call with Possible CO Illness at House on Palatine Rd, Inverness.” Cardinal News, September 12, 2022. https://www.arlingtoncardinal.com/2022/09/two-dead-after-police-respond-to-family-problem-call-with-possible-co-illness-at-house-on-palatine-rd-inverness/. ↩︎

CrimeNewsChicagoland News

Chicago Journal Twitter

The Chicago Journal is a general interest, digital publication focused on the political, cultural, and economic issues relevant to the city of Chicago and the surrounding metro area.


Related

Supreme Court upholds cash-free bail in Illinois, takes effect in September

Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis ordered that the halt on the law be lifted 60 days after Tuesday's opinion, on Sept. 18, 2023.

Supreme Court upholds cash-free bail in Illinois, takes effect in September

Mississippi River crests at Davenport, testing barriers

The peak was slightly lower than forecast but still high enough to test the region's flood defenses and to keep officials on guard. Many larger cities have flood walls but Davenport relies on temporary sand-filled barriers and allows the river to flood in riverfront parks.

Mississippi River crests at Davenport, testing barriers

`Multiple fatalities' on Illinois highway following crashes

The crashes occurred late in the morning and involved 40 to 60 passenger cars and multiple tractor-trailers, two of which caught fire, Illinois State Police Maj. Ryan Starrick said.

`Multiple fatalities' on Illinois highway following crashes