CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The death of an Illinois State Police trooper found Friday on the Dan Ryan Expressway has been ruled a suicide, according to autopsy results released Saturday.
Gerald Mason, 35, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
The incident happened around 1:45 p.m. in the inbound lanes of the Dan Ryan at 43rd Street, state police said in a statement. A passerby came to his aid and police drove him to a hospital where he died.
Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly wouldn’t give specifics about the shooting during a Friday evening news conference, saying officials were conducting a death investigation.
His mother, Linda Mason, told the Sun-Times Friday night that her son had wanted to be a cop since was a toddler. He was a Chicago native and Hyde Park Academy High graduate who dedicated his life to policing, she said.
“He was a sweetheart, and he loved everybody,” she said. “He just wanted to protect people and make this city and state better.”
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire & Chicago Sun-Times 2021. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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