𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨, 𝐈𝐋… – The Black Femicide Prevention Coalition

𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨, 𝐈𝐋 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟏𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔–Barbara Deer and her son died in a murder-suicide, officials said, sending shockwaves through Chicago political circles as the city laments the losses in one of its most prominent families.

Their deaths were discovered after a family friend called police to the Deer home when the suspect’s twin brother, Kanaan, reported a notification on his Apple Watch that his mother had taken a hard fall. The Cook County Medical Examiner ruled the deaths of Barbara and Kaleb a homicide and suicide, respectively.

The deaths came as a shock to the community.

Earlier this week, Barbara Deer sent a message to a text chain inviting neighbors to go on a walk together. Friends and neighbors say that’s who Barbara Deer was: an organizer who cared deeply about her community in Garfield Park, advocated for Juneteenth to be celebrated widely and doted on her three children and husband, Dennis, before he died in 2024, as they advocated for mental health care.

Barbara was remembered as a beloved partner to Dennis, who for years served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners and a community center in North Lawndale that bears his name. The pair focused on on initiatives surrounding mental health and healthy eating, as well as establishing Juneteeth commemorations. Their son, the suspect, worked at the Dr. Dennis Deer Community Justice Center as part of the Lawndale Christian Legal Center and promised to continue the family legacy in public service.

But the Deer family’s tragic turn underscores the challenges many people are fighting. U.S. Rep. Danny Davis has known the family for decades and said he had heard mention of the son’s “depression” after his father’s death. Speaking before the official ruling, Davis said “no matter the circumstances,” it’s a tragedy.

“It is devastating. It is so tragic and so unfortunate. It’s an indication that we need to spend much more time, much more money, much more effort, dealing with behavior health issues and the advent of trauma,” Davis said. “We need to have available resources to try and understand it, try and deal more effectively with it. I think what we’ve just experienced suggests that there are gaps in what we do, there are things we just don’t understand.”

After news of their passing broke, the accolades for the Deer family began pouring in.

“They’re true West Siders, deeply, deeply connected to community and faith,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said Wednesday, remembering Dennis Deer as one of the nicest politicians he’d ever worked with when they were both on the county board. Barbara, he said, gave “that same level of love and intensity” at Chicago Public Schools, where she worked for decades.

“I’ve experienced a great deal of sorrow as a result of this tragedy,” Johnson said. “I know sometimes I might come across, at times, a little dug in, because I know when these issues are unaddressed and families do not have the support that they need, it causes tragedy.”

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle called their deaths a “heartbreaking and unimaginable loss.”

“The Deer family has long been well known in the community for their compassion and steadfast commitment to others,” Preckwinkle said. “Their presence and service touched countless lives. There are no words that can make sense of such pain, but I hope the surviving family members find strength in the love that surrounds them.”

According to a police report, a family friend first called police to the Deer home when the suspect’s twin brother, Kanaan, called about a notification on his Apple Watch that his mother had taken a hard fall.

A family friend, who lives nearby, went to the house but couldn’t open the front door, which was deadbolted, the report said.

The family dog and their car were both outside, and the dog had been out for some time barking, according to the report. The family’s friend texted both Barbara and her son but received no response, and eventually called police.

After Chicago Fire Department workers entered the house, officers found the mother and son on the floor in a pool of blood, the report said. A black handgun was on the floor near the son’s hand, according to the report.

Barbara Deer was a speech pathologist for nearly 20 years with Chicago Public Schools and in private practice. She most recently worked as the CEO for the health care consulting firm Metamorphosis Health.

She became the executive director of Juneteenth Illinois in 2023.

State Rep. LaShawn Ford, a close family friend, said that the deaths are “a big, big devastating loss for us.”

Their deaths were a shock because of the emphasis both parents put on mental health, he said.

“So many people right now, whether we know it or not, are struggling with mental and behavioral health challenges and there’s nowhere to turn for some people. Even when you have experts within your household, our communities have to do better — government has to do better — so that people have access to health care.”