Sara McMeen Shot 3 Children, Boyfriend, Herself In Illinois Town: Police (VIDEO)

CHICAGO — An Illinois woman shot each of her three children, including a 10-month-old baby, in the head before apparently killing herself, authorities said Monday. Investigators arriving on the scene found their bodies in the backyard, the woman's hands stained with soot from firing the gun.

Authorities released new details on the shootings in Emington, a farming community with 117 residents about 85 miles southwest of Chicago. Neighbors have said the gunfire erupted moments after McMeen's two older children got off a school bus on Friday.

Investigators found the body of her live-in boyfriend, Daniel Warren, 29, inside the couple's rented home. They found McMeen, 30, and her three children in the backyard.

Next-door neighbor Annelise Fiedler told The Associated Press on Saturday that she ran out of her house when she heard the first burst of gunfire. She saw McMeen hovering over her baby as if she had dropped her.

Fiedler asked McMeen if everything was all right.

"She looked at me and said, `No, everything is not all right,'" Fiedler said. Then, McMeen shot the baby.

Autopsy results released Monday said 10-month-old Maggie Warren had two gunshot wounds in the head and a separate wound where a bullet grazed her neck.

McMeen's two older children, 8-year-old Skyler Lemke and 7-year-old Ian Lemke, also were shot in the head. Autopsy results showed Skyler died of two gunshot wounds to the head and one to the upper back. Ian was shot once in the head.

Daniel Warren, 29, had gunshot wounds in the back and neck, authorities said.

They said McMeen shot herself in the neck. She was found with a .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun next to her and soot had been deposited on her hands. Shell casings found at the scene were of the same caliber as the handgun.

Investigators have not identified a possible motive. Martin Meredith, the sheriff in rural Livington County, said in a statement that authorities were "still putting together this tragic incident" and wanted to talk to anyone who spoke to McMeen or Daniel Warren before the shootings.

Relatives of Brad Lemke, Skyler and Ian's father, declined to comment. Memorial funds have been set up in the names of the three children at the First National Bank in Dwight, Ill.

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Comments

[pachonette]

02:07 PM on 12/22/2011

How do you not feel this pain way down deep in one's soul? My Lord, this is beyond a tragedy, it is a horrific ordeal that leaves you reeling with exhaustion and fumes of anger and ache way down deep.. At least this is what I feel and I've never met either of them, smh... Just sad, so, so SAD!!!!

[arterial]

03:17 PM on 12/22/2011

Thank you pachonette. Your comments are right on the mark. But, as you implied, this is only the tip of the iceberg and i do mean "ice" that our government has led us to a plight of down trodden humans, who can not see ANY hope. The way down deep angst you express should be felt by millions more like you and maybe, just maybe some of these folks who are or feel that they are worse off then us, might see: others have it worse, how do they cope? I really don't believe their is an answer for these lost souls but prayer. You have another FAN.

[pachonette]

03:54 PM on 12/22/2011

Thank you Arterial, I really appreciate knowing that someone else understands where I'm coming from... As I was reading some of the comments and some of the ignorance coming from some of the people who had the nerve to make jokes with regard to such a sad and serious plight, I really began to realize just how in danger we really are to those days spoke about in revelation.. And you're absolutely correct only prayer can change things, because truly God is the only answer... Happy Holidays!!!

[robonzobean]

02:04 PM on 12/22/2011

Should check her blood for psychiatric medications! I'm betting 1 for 1 these tragic shootings are the product of the numb & “demoralizing” effects these drugs have!

[Michael Steaphens]

02:00 AM on 12/22/2011

If you keep these kind of comments up,they'll be having a telethon for you.

[ScorpioTop]

12:54 PM on 12/22/2011

It would be smarter to have a telethon for the families of the 30,000 Americans killed by gun use yearly.

[Michael Steaphens]

02:03 AM on 12/22/2011

Years ago in my area,a woman killed her kids by driving her car into a river alongside the highway.You think she'll be a calender girl for safe driving?

[devildog0311usmc]

07:29 PM on 12/21/2011

AN ALCOHOLIC, I CAN TELL

[mdipary2004]

07:19 PM on 12/21/2011

61% of all child abuse is committed by biological mothers.
25% of all child abuse is committed by biological fathers.

(Statistical Source: Current DHHS report on nationwide Child Abuse)

The WRAs do not like when I post the truth. Watch all of them bash me.

[HomeTrainedOldSchool]

03:31 PM on 12/22/2011

The precentage is smaller for fathers because they are less likely to have custody when there is a separation. What are the stats when they are together raising the child?

[Agnostic2112]

04:39 PM on 12/21/2011

This story, like so many others like it, are just so sad. Maybe we can try to learn from them. These days I definitely approach friends and family more often asking them how they're doing. I try to be a good listner rather then through one ear and out the other. When I'm down or in trouble I now try to reach out.
I hate learning lessons through others pain, but hopefully in the end the lesson learned will help someone else or even myself. Unfortunately we can't change the past, but maybe we can make the "now" better. I must admit it's almost always impossible as an outsider to understand why children have to die in these cases, I just hope they're in a better place if a better place exist.

[arterial]

03:30 PM on 12/22/2011

Agnostic2112: Loved your comments and reasoning powers. I just wish there were more like you. I agree about the listening. As a child, I always wanted to listen to the older folks, cause they told stories about love and loss; about loving and sharing. You have a new fan. Thank you.

[Agnostic2112]

04:32 PM on 12/22/2011

Hope you have a safe and happy holiday arterial.

[Randy Mann]

02:32 PM on 12/21/2011

If it was not by gun it would be by kitchen knife. If not by knife it would be by hammer. If not by hammer it would be by bath tub. Not the bath tub, it would be car in the lake ect..

[kelly socal]

03:21 PM on 12/21/2011

You are right! Its not what was in her hand but what was in her head killed these children! There are no words to describe the sorrow! So freaking sad!

[Sven Fjordmann]

01:35 PM on 12/22/2011

So she had to kill them? Doesn't sound like free will.

[Ernie Gallegos]

11:31 AM on 12/21/2011

Here is my take on this....if you want to kill yourself, go for it, but take the kids to a relative and leave them out of it!!!

[HEYUOUTTHERE]

08:59 AM on 12/21/2011

I'm sure the gun was in the home for "protection".

[CelticMajic]

09:31 AM on 12/21/2011

and?

[Ed Petty]

12:41 PM on 12/21/2011

We have laws against murder already. Didn't seem to help. I guess you would feel better if she slit their throats. If you think outlawing guns is the end of all crime and murder,think about Caine and Able or more recently O.J. Simpson (or the" real killers").

[Kazzy]

06:10 PM on 12/21/2011

This is not to say she wouldn't have found another way, but the easier it is to do, the easier it is, period. Having a loaded gun in the house provides an opportunity that in a sudden impulsive decision, makes things easier. It's quicker, painless, etc. If it is not around, it takes much more effort and for many, that effort is enough to deter plans leaving at least some time to reflect. It almost guarantees that something bad will happen, because it makes it EASY.

[zooymtoo]

07:36 AM on 12/21/2011

Obviously somethings just not right with a person that does something like this...The reasons are too many to mention..and only important to prevent anyone else that suffered from her particular malady..Not in letting anyone off the hook.
We see people snapping all the time..killing their children and families..their co workers..complete strangers. Understanding why is not to excuse but to prevent. It's likely that there are always signs beforehand that people discount...or wait too long to take action..
That is the only lesson to be learned from such tragedies..Don't imagine that someone you know or someone you love is incapable of such a horrible thing.

[rafannie]

05:54 PM on 12/21/2011

good comment. something similarly tragic happened near me recently and it was revealed only after the tragedy that there had been trouble in the home for years. And this guy had bought a shotgun several months earlier. But I'm against guns in the home because of accidents or impulse. Too easy to pull a trigger in a rage.

[JimInHouston]

09:50 PM on 12/21/2011

Accidents are extraordinarily rare.

[ppllaanntt]

06:28 AM on 12/21/2011

Serious issues here folks,,,,not just driven over the edge or stressed out.People that commit crimes like this have something wrong with them,,,and they have had something wrong with themselves since day one.Too many excuses are made for people that have serious mental issues.It seems that as soon as theres a name for a mental disability it becomes an excuse to commit crimes.I cant understand what would make anyone commit a crime such as this,,,and these types of crimes seem to be in the news more and more.

[joeheyjoe]

02:29 AM on 12/21/2011

Makes me sick thinking of those poor children and their father. I don't know how people can do these horrible things. It's a messed up world we live in!

[nygh]

06:22 AM on 12/24/2011

Some people believe that the world has always been this way, and that this is just another story...I don't think that.
I think that our world has gotten extremely messed up, and the horrible things that people do are occurring more often.

[bdiane]

10:39 PM on 12/20/2011

I do believe mother's kill children at a much higher rate than men. We should remember that this woman killed an innocent man, wich I see many people have forgotton. I also know people will come up with the bipolar excuse, however Bipolar patients know exactly what they are doing.The explanatio­n put forward by the law is that insanity is defined to be lack of awareness about one’s actions or the consequenc­es thereof. An insane person is given the preferenti­al treatment by the law in spite of committing grave crimes like homicide and rape, because these people are considered to be committing these acts, without having an intention to do so, and without realizing that their particular act could harm the other person. Bipolar patients do have episodes of mania, alternatin­g with depression­, but these patients know exactly what they are doing, and are well aware of the repercussi­ons of their actions.

The law considers bipolar disorder as an EXCUSE, not the reason for the crimes committed by bipolar offenders. The only considerat­ion offered by the legal system in case of this disorder, is a leniency in the charges and the punishment meted out. That means if a bipolar individual commits murder, he may be charged with manslaught­er, which is a comparativ­ely lesser charge.

[pachonette]

02:30 PM on 12/22/2011

I don't know about bipolar, but I do know about schizophrenia and trust me when I say it's a beast and the person is truly unaware of their actions at all!! This disease is controlled by the voices in their head and is controlled by the devil.. They literally can't stop themselves from doing what the voices say.. How do I know, I watched my mother deal with it and I lived every day for years wondering if she was gonna be told to kill herself, me or both. God help the person and/or family dealing with that disease, again I say: "IT'S A BEAST"....

[bdiane]

03:47 PM on 12/22/2011

This woman suffered from bipolar. Bipolar is an ecuse for a crime. Bipolar disorder will not hold water in a court of law.

[mdipary2004]

09:43 PM on 12/20/2011

To many violent abusive women noadays. Has anyone notice how huffpost just acts like the death of the boyfriend is no big deal. Look at some of the comments, most people do not mention the boyfriend who was killed in this act of domestic violence

[fmeyer11]

09:32 PM on 12/20/2011

simple, shoot her

[wolflover3825]

10:13 PM on 12/20/2011

She shot herself. Suicide.

[Born to be riled]

01:03 PM on 12/22/2011

Shoot her, again.