Channahon man dead, his mother wounded after murder-suicide try

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CHANNAHON – Reports were unfounded earlier today that a second person has died as a result of an apparent murder-suicide by shotgun in the home of the shooter.

Police Chief Joe Pena did not identify the 61-year-old female victim, who was transported Thursday to Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, with a shotgun wound to the head.

The woman’s son, Vincent Panici, 34, of the 26200 block of Highland Drive, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Will County Coroner’s office at 1:13 p.m. Thursday.

Initial indications are the son died from a shotgun wound to the head. The autopsy is today. The cause of death will be determined after toxicology and other reports are completed.

Pena said today he was waiting for the family to handle identification of the woman, who was found conscious by Channahon police in the basement of her home, following the incident.

The body of her son — who had moved back into his mother’s home about two months ago — was lying close by. A shotgun was found near his body.

“She was conscious when police got there,” noted Pena, who said they were unable to talk to the woman, who was going into shock at the time.

The shootings were discovered by two cleaning ladies who were working in the second floor of the home, their vacuum cleaners and fans running.

“When they shut everything off, they heard someone yelling for help,” Pena said.

He said the cleaning women called 911. He did not identify them, except to say they had worked for the family in the past.

Pena said police are continuing their investigation of the incident and, as of yet, do not have a motive for the shootings.

“It appears to be domestic-related,” he said. “It’s just a tragic situation. It seems to me more people need to watch for signs of domestic violence, which appears to be increasing in our nation at a rate higher than we like to see. So many times people don’t want to talk about it.”

He believed Panici had a police record, but could not go into detail.

“I know he’s had police contacts in other jurisdictions, and some minor run-ins here,” said Pena.
Pena said the son was a construction worker who had been out of a job for some time, and recently moved back in with his mother from his home in Colorado.

Authorities are still looking into whether he was married. As far as police are aware, at this point, he had no children.

“We don’t know how long he lived in Colorado,” said Pena. “He came back home a couple months ago.”
Pena said it was his understanding the mother and son were natives to this area.

Thursday’s incident is the first of its kind for Pena in the 18 months he has been the village’s police chief.

Just after Pena’s arrival in Channahon to take over the police post, Christopher Vaughn, then 33, Oswego, was jailed in Will County on charges of murdering his wife and three children on a frontage road outside the village on June 14, 2007.

Pena said today his department was involved in the investigation. Vaughn remains in the county jail on eight counts of murder, with his next court appearance scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, July 17.