CHICAGO (AP), The suicide of an Illinois State Police trooper killed on a Chicago expressway was ruled suicide by the Cook County Medical Examiners.
The medical examiner's office stated that District Chicago Trooper Gerald Mason (35), died from a gunshot to the head. The state police initially reported his age as 36 on Friday.
Authorities said that the 11-year veteran of state police died Friday after the shooting on Friday, around 2 p.m. in the Dan Ryan Expressway's inbound lanes on the city's South Side.
He was an outstanding District Chicago trooper, said Brendan Kelly, Illinois State Police Director during a Friday evening news conference.
Linda Mason, the mother of the trooper, said that her son wanted to become an officer from a young age. She said that he was a Chicagoan who had dedicated his entire life to police work.
She said that he was a sweetheart and loved everyone. He wanted to make the state and city better.
The Illinois State Police announced Thursday that it will more than double its patrols in Chicago starting Friday as a response to an increase in shootings along expressways in the past two years.
According to the agency, there have been more than 185 shootings on expressways this year. This is compared to the total of 130 shootings last and just over 50 in 2019.
