An Illinois man allegedly shot his wife then himself over coronavirus fears
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A man in Chicago suburb Lockport Township killed his wife and then himself this week, police say. On Thursday evening, police responded to a wellbeing check at the couple's home, where they found Patrick Jesernik, 54, and Cheryl Schriefer, 59, dead, NBC Chicago reported. An autopsy found that each died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
The couple's family told police that Jesernik was afraid that they both had COVID-19, the coronavirus disease. Schriefer was reportedly tested for the virus two days earlier after having trouble breathing but hadn't yet gotten results.The Sheriff's office in Will County, where the incident took place, told NBC that the majority of 911 calls during the outbreak so far have been over domestic disputes. As the coronavirus spreads across the US and more people are under lockdown orders, experts predicted a surge in domestic violence.
One executive from the National Domestic Abuse Hotline told The New York Times that she expects to see intensity and frequency of domestic violence increase with the pandemic as the organization works to manage an increased caseload and new challenges.This pattern reflects other disasters, including 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, which also saw upticks in abuse. Experts connect the stresses and loss of control of disasters like 9/11 or the coronavirus with increases in abusive behavior. Nine large metropolitan police departments, including Portland and Boston, have already seen more than a 20% increase in domestic violence calls.
National Domestic Violence Hotline Call 1-800-799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email covidtips@businessinsider.com and tell us your story.And get the latest coronavirus analysis and research from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is impacting businesses.
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