The fatal shooting of a 24-year-old Aurora man Sunday in Melrose Park may have occurred during a drug deal, police said.
At about 2:40 p.m. Sunday, Melrose Park police responded to a citizen’s complaint of drug dealing in the area of 12th Avenue and Winston Drive, according to a news release.
As patrol officers were investigating the complaint, a 911 call from a home on the 1200 block of Winston Drive reported that someone had been shot inside, police said.
Emergency responders found the resident of the home inside with a minor gunshot wound to the head and Anthony Scott, 24, of Aurora, with multiple gunshot wounds that proved fatal, according to police.
Scott’s death, pronounced at 3:17 p.m. at the scene, was ruled a homicide by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The investigation so far has revealed that the victim and the resident of the home may have been involved in an illegal drug transaction at the time of the shooting, police said.
Melrose Park police investigators and the West Suburban Major Crimes Task Force are continuing to process evidence and conduct interviews to determine “the exact series of events” and motive, police said.
“They have executed a number of search warrants, collected forensic evidence and have interviewed a number of persons of interest,” police said in the news release.
As police continue to investigate, they will submit findings to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for consideration of criminal charges, according to the news release.
Police said there is not currently a public safety threat to the community.
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“The ongoing investigation indicates that the incident was isolated within a small group of individuals who knew each other,” police said in the news release.
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