91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Watch CBS News
Local News

Widow, son of Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer found shot, killed in West Side Chicago home

By
Adam Harrington
Adam Harrington
Web Producer, CBS Chicago
Adam Harrington is a digital producer at CBS Chicago, where he first arrived in January 2006.
Read Full Bio
Adam Harrington,
Todd Feurer
Todd Feurer
Web Producer, CBS Chicago
Todd Feurer is a web producer for CBS Chicago. He has previously written for WBBM Newsradio, WUIS-FM and the New City News Service.
Read Full Bio
Todd Feurer,
Liz Miller

/ CBS Chicago

The widow and son of late Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer were found shot to death on Chicago's West Side on Tuesday in an apparent murder-suicide.

Barbara Deer, 51, and son Kaleb Deer, 23, were found dead in a home in the 3500 block of West Arthington Street in the Homan Square community at 5:50 p.m. Wednesday, officials said. Their identities were released by the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.

Barbara Deer suffered three gunshot wounds to her chest, while Kaleb Deer suffered a single gunshot wound to his head, authorities said. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, according to Chicago police.

A weapon was recovered at the scene, police said.

Autopsies determined Barbara Deer died of multiple gunshot wounds, and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner's office. Kaleb Deer died of a gunshot wound to the head, and his death was ruled a suicide.

Public records confirmed that Barbara Deer was the widow of Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer, and Kaleb Deer was her son.

Dennis Deer died in June 2024 at the age of 51. He was appointed to the 2nd District Cook County Board seat in 2017 a Commissioner Robert Steele died. Deer was elected to a full term as a county commissioner in 2018 and reelected in 2022.

The Chicago Federation of Labor released a statement about the deaths, writing, "The Deer Family is a part of the CFL Family. They have always been advocates for social and economic justice, public health, and visibility for those often overlooked. As we grapple with the tragic deaths of Barbara and Kaleb, I'm comforted by the memory of my dear friend Dennis, whose enduring spirit lives with me every day.

"It is with that spirit that we will work to continue the legacy of the Deers in all the ways that they supported the Lawndale Communities and beyond, as we comfort and pray for the Deer Family."

Alderman Stephanie Coleman called the deaths "inconceivable and unthinkable." 

"The Deer family have been such pillars of the westside community for over twenty years, and they have given much to the upward mobility of the city of Chicago," Coleman said in part in a written statement. 

In:

© 2026 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
const link = doc.createElement('link'); link.rel = 'stylesheet'; link.href = '/fly/fly/bundles/cbsnewscontent/css/cmp-banner.min.css?v=296763317a51cab90faa73f1bb146d5c'; doc.head.appendChild(link); doc.body.innerHTML = CONSENT_MESSAGE; } else { el.insertAdjacentHTML('afterend', CONSENT_MESSAGE); } }); } function hidePrivacyMessage() { // Remove from the main document document.querySelectorAll(`.${CONSENT_MESSAGE_CLASS}`).forEach(el => el.remove()); // Remove from inside any iframes document.querySelectorAll('iframe').forEach(iframe => { const doc = iframe.contentDocument || iframe.contentWindow.document; doc.querySelectorAll(`.${CONSENT_MESSAGE_CLASS}`).forEach(el => el.remove()); }); } function activateGatedScripts() { // Handle both new format (cmp-gated-script) and old OneTrust/Ketch format (optanon-category-4) const gatedScripts = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('script.cmp-gated-script, script.optanon-category-4')); // Activate scripts sequentially with a small delay to avoid timing issues let delay = 0; gatedScripts.forEach(function(placeholder, index) { setTimeout(function() { // Skip if already processed if (placeholder.hasAttribute('data-cmp-processed')) { return; } placeholder.setAttribute('data-cmp-processed', 'true'); const newScript = document.createElement('script'); newScript.type = 'text/javascript'; // Try new format first (data-cmp-src), then fall back to old format (data-src) const src = placeholder.getAttribute('data-cmp-src') || placeholder.getAttribute('data-src'); if (src) { newScript.src = src; } else if (placeholder.textContent) { // Inline script - just copy the content newScript.textContent = placeholder.textContent; } // Handle new format attributes (data-cmp-attrs) - for both inline and external scripts const attrs = placeholder.getAttribute('data-cmp-attrs'); if (attrs) { const tempDiv = document.createElement('div'); tempDiv.innerHTML = '
<\/div>'; const tempAttrs = tempDiv.firstChild.attributes; for (let i = 0; i < tempAttrs.length; i++) { // For external scripts, allow defer/async. For inline scripts, skip them (not valid) if (src || (tempAttrs[i].name !== 'async' && tempAttrs[i].name !== 'defer')) { newScript.setAttribute(tempAttrs[i].name, tempAttrs[i].value); } } } // Copy other attributes from old OneTrust format for (let i = 0; i < placeholder.attributes.length; i++) { const attr = placeholder.attributes[i]; // Skip attributes we've already handled or don't want to copy if (!['class', 'data-src', 'data-type', 'data-cmp-src', 'data-cmp-attrs', 'data-cmp-processed', 'type', 'async', 'defer', 'src'].includes(attr.name)) { newScript.setAttribute(attr.name, attr.value); } } placeholder.parentNode.replaceChild(newScript, placeholder); // If external script, manually trigger window.onload handlers after it loads // This handles widgets that use window.onload for initialization if (src) { newScript.addEventListener('load', function() { // If page already loaded and script set a new onload handler, trigger it if (document.readyState === 'complete' && window.onload) { const originalOnload = window.onload; window.onload = null; // Clear temporarily to prevent loops originalOnload(); // Execute the handler } }); } }, delay); delay += 500; // 500ms delay between each script to allow full loading }); } cbsoptanon.onScriptsReady(function(cmp) { cmp.ot.targetingAllowed(function(allowed) { if (!allowed) { showPrivacyMessage(); } else { activateGatedScripts(); } }); cmp.ot.awaitInitialConsent(function(consent_model) { cmp.ot.addOnConsentChangedHandler(function() { cmp.ot.targetingAllowed(function(allowed) { if (allowed) { hidePrivacyMessage(); activateGatedScripts(); } else { showPrivacyMessage(); } }); }); }); });