Grandmother fatally shoots grandson in murder-suicide at Chinatown hotel: police

Police are investigating a murder-suicide at a Chinatown hotel where a 61-year-old woman from Texas fatally shot her grandson before turning the gun on herself.

Officers found the pair dead with gunshot wounds to their heads about 2:35 p.m. Sunday after responding to a well-being check at a hotel room in the 200 block of West Cermak, Chicago police said.

Detectives believe the woman fatally shot her 24-year-old grandson before shooting herself sometime Friday, according to police spokesman Michael Carroll.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office said the incident happened at the Jaslin Hotel, 261 W. Cermak Road. The woman was identified as Searcy Thornton-Allen, while her grandson was identified as Alivin Seals Jr. Both lived in Killeen, Texas.

Autopsy results confirmed Thornton-Allen died by suicide and Seals died by homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Police on Monday initially said the man was the shooter before clarifying later in the morning that investigators believe the woman fired the shots.

Area One detectives are conducting a death investigation.

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