The widow and son of the late Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer were found shot dead Tuesday night in a home on Chicago’s West Side, adding another layer of grief to a family already marked by loss. Barbara Deer, 51, and Kaleb Deer, 23, were found in the 3500-block of West Arthington Street at about 5:50 p.m., Chicago police said.
Police said Barbara Deer had been shot three times and Kaleb Deer had a single gunshot wound to the head. Their deaths came after Dennis Deer died in 2024 from complications of a double lung transplant, leaving the family to face a second tragedy in as many years.
The deaths prompted condolences on Wednesday from Cook County Board Commissioners, who paused for a moment of silence in their honor. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said the Deer family had long been known in the community for compassion and steadfast commitment to others, and that their presence and service touched countless lives. She said there are no words that can make sense of such pain and extended her deepest condolences to those who loved them.
Bob Reiter, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, said the Deer family was part of the CFL family and had long been advocates for social and economic justice, public health and visibility for those often overlooked. He said he was comforted by the memory of Dennis Deer and that the family’s legacy would be carried forward in the Lawndale community and beyond.
The loss leaves a painful gap for the people who knew the family and for local leaders who viewed the Deers as a public-spirited presence in Chicago. The immediate question now is how a family already mourning one death in 2024 will be remembered after this new violence, and what answers police can provide about the killings on West Arthington Street.
