Scott Wishecoby’s Berwyn, Illinois home was the scene of a terrifying encounter on Wednesday night. He and his family were confronted by an armed intruder, later identified as 24-year-old John Lyons, a suspect in a triple murder 150 miles away. “He just started shooting at me. ‘Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,'” Wishecoby recounted to ABC7, describing the barrage of bullets that killed two of his beloved dogs. He had initially called out to see if anyone was there before letting his dogs downstairs, only to be confronted by Lyons and a laser pointer. “When I came around this corner, that’s when I made eye contact with him. And then, he just started shooting,” Wishecoby explained.
The intruder, Lyons, chased Wishecoby and his son upstairs, firing shots through a wall before escaping through the basement door. Berwyn police arrived shortly after and fatally shot Lyons. The incident left Wishecoby’s home riddled with bullet holes and his family heartbroken by the loss of their dogs, 8-year-old Pitbull Missy and her pup, Bear. Despite the trauma, Wishecoby found comfort in the outpouring of community support, noting the mayor’s delivery of a Christmas gift box. “Love the family that you have and that you’re with, because you never know when,” he reflected. The Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force is currently investigating the officers’ use of force in the shooting of Lyons.