2 killed, 3 hurt in shooting involving River Forest police

Two people were killed and three others—including two police officers—were injured when gunfire erupted in a domestic incident at a home in west suburban River Forest Sunday morning.

About 7:15 a.m., a woman complaining of shortness of breath called emergency crews to the home in the 100 block of Lathrop Avenue, River Forest Deputy Police Chief James O’Shea said in an afternoon news conference near the home.

When officers arrived, a 24-year-old man — identified as Matthew Watson by the Cook County medical examiner’s office — “ambushed” and opened fire on them, O’Shea told reporters.

The two officers returned fire and fatally shot him, O’Shea said.

One of the officers, a 15-year veteran sergeant, was shot on his bulletproof vest. The other, a five-year veteran officer, was injured, but it wasn’t immediately clear if he had been shot. They were taken to hospitals with non life-threatening injuries, O’Shea said.

Police then found 60-year-old William Carlson shot dead inside the home, and a 59-year-old woman with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene and she was taken to a hospital, police said. Her condition was not released.

The woman was the Watson’s mother, police said. His relationship to the Carlson was not disclosed. Both men lived in the block of the shooting, the medical examiner’s office said.

Investigators recovered a shotgun they say was used by Watson.