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James Griffin, 77, a retired Chicago homicide detective, shot and killed his son Michael Griffin, 48, after mistaking him for an intruder in his Northwest Side Chicago apartment on Tuesday.
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Griffin was found shot once in the head a little after midnight in his father’s home in the 5300 block of North Delphia Avenue.
According to the Chicago Tribune:
An autopsy performed today found Griffin died of a gunshot wound to the face and his death was declared a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Griffin Sr. was taken to Resurrection Hospital after complaining of chest pains, relatives said. No charges have been announced by police.
Stephen Griffin said his brother had been watching television with his father when he went outside. Michael Griffin was shot when he came back into the apartment.
“They were watching television together and they fell asleep, and my brother went out of the house and my dad assumed he was home, sleeping,’’ Stephen Griffin said.
He said another brother called him in the middle of the night and told him “something happened at dad’s house, that he shot an intruder,” Stephen Griffin said.
“At that time he didn’t know who he shot. Then he called me back and told me the bad news,’’ said Griffin, whose mother died in 1999. “I’m just glad my mom wasn’t around to see this.
“It’s a tragedy,’’ said Griffin, 47. “I’m still in shock.”
Griffin had been kicked out of his apartment after losing a custodial job downtown and had moved in with his father just days before the shooting.
Family and friends say both father and son were close.
SOURCE: ChicagoTribune
