Police are investigating the suspicious deaths of the widow and son of former Cook County Board Commissioner Dennis Deer, who were found shot dead inside their East Garfield Park home Tuesday evening, according to authorities.Barbara A. Deer, 51, was shot three times in her chest, and Kaleb D. Deer, 23, was shot once in his head, police and the Cook County medical examiner's office said. They were found inside their home in the 3500 block of West Arthington Street, at 5:50 p.m., police said. Former Commissioner Deer died in 2024. Both were pronounced dead at 6:53 p.m., according to the medical examiner's office. "Today, we mourn alongside the Deer family as they endure another heartbreaking and unimaginable loss with the passing of former Commissioner Dennis Deer’s beloved wife and son," Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said in a statement. "The Deer family has long been well-known in the community for their compassion and steadfast commitment to others. 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."A family friend went to the home after he was contacted by a relative of the Deers who'd gotten a notification on his Apple watch that his mom had suffered a "hard fall," according to a police report obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times. He could not open the door because a deadbolt was apparently in place, and he found the family's dog in the backyard barking, and found it unusual for the dog to be outside for a lengthy amount of time, the report said. He left text messages for both Deers and didn’t hear back, but he saw the family's car parked in the rear, making him think they were home, the report said. Chicago Fire Department officials then went to the home and forced themselves inside and found the first and second floor "clear," with no signs of forced entry on the windows or doors, the report said.They then found the pair lying on the ground in a pool of blood, police said. Multiple fired cartridges were also found on the floor. A gun was recovered near the hand of the man, and the shooting is under investigation, police said. No arrests were reported. ...read more read less