A man believed to be responsible for the murder of three individuals in Illinois was shot and killed by police in Berwyn, a suburb of Chicago, while nearby a prominent far-right political figure.
Nick Fuentes shared on X that the suspect, who was wearing a motorcycle helmet, approached his residence armed with a gun and what appeared to be a crossbow. He rang Fuentes’ doorbell and greeted him with, “Yo, Nick,” a moment captured by Fuentes’ porch surveillance camera on Wednesday night.
According to Police Chief Michael Cimaglia, the individual, later identified as 24-year-old John Lyons from Westchester, shot at Berwyn police officers during a foot chase, prompting them to return fire, resulting in Lyons’ death.
Fuentes described the incident on X, stating that Lyons had parked his vehicle near his residence and advanced toward his door with a firearm drawn. Fuentes added that he was livestreaming the encounter at the time. His legal representative, Bob Rascia, indicated that another resident in the house contacted law enforcement out of concern.
Rascia emphasized that Fuentes felt threatened by Lyons’ actions and pointed out that he did not know him personally. The investigation into Lyons’ death has been handed over to the Illinois State Police. Spokesperson Melaney Arnold mentioned that authorities were already aware of Fuentes’ online posts regarding an armed individual at his home before the confrontation occurred.
“It’s still early in our investigation, and we will share more details as they become available,” Arnold commented.
Fuentes, known for his controversial views including Holocaust denial, is affiliated with a faction of right-wing social media influencers who have risen in prominence, especially following Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign, which has emboldened their propagation of misogynistic rhetoric online.
Recently, Fuentes faced a misdemeanor charge after a woman accused him of pepper-spraying her outside his residence back in November. This incident gained additional scrutiny after his post on X that twisted the slogan “my body, my choice” in the context of abortion rights.
At the same time, in Mahomet, Illinois—located about 120 miles south of Chicago—authorities began investigating the shooting deaths of three family members that occurred on the same day. Police Chief Mike Metzler confirmed that Lyons was acquainted with at least one of the victims and declared that the incident was not random, stating, “From what we know now, one of the victims was specifically targeted.”