Man arrested after allegedly killing ex-in-laws, shooting at ex-wife in downstate Sheridan

A man was arrested Wednesday after his ex-wife’s parents were shot and killed the day before, sparking an overnight manhunt in downstate Sheridan.

Police responded about 9:50 a.m. Tuesday to the call of a woman who said her ex-husband was shooting out her house’s windows, LaSalle County Sheriff Thomas Templeton said Wednesday in a televised news conference.

The 37-year-old woman’s home, in the 800 block of Church Street in Sheridan, is located about 30 miles southwest of Aurora.

As officers arrived, the 37-year-old suspect ran away, Templeton said.

Soon after, the woman called her parents who lived nearby and, receiving no answer, asked their neighbor to check on them, Templeton said. The neighbor peered through the windows and found the woman’s parents bleeding.

Paramedics responded and determined both had been shot to death. They were identified as Gregory Barnes Sr. and Brenda Barnes, both 62, by the LaSalle County coroner’s office.

Deputies arrested the suspect about 6:45 a.m. Wednesday as he walked near the Sheridan Correctional Center, Templeton said. He had no weapon and was arrested without incident.

The ex-wife was treated and released from a hospital for injuries from shattered glass, Templeton said.

Templeton was unable to provide details about a possible motive.

No charges have been filed against the man.