Beloved Doctor Fatally Shot in Suburban Chicago Home After Health Presentation
(Image: CBS Chicago)
Dr. Olga Duchon, a highly regarded 42-year-old endocrinologist from Vernon Hills, was tragically shot and killed Sunday evening in what authorities are investigating as a domestic incident in Barrington, Illinois. Police arrested a male suspect at the scene and removed a small child from the residence.
Dr. Duchon had just returned from a speaking engagement with a Ukrainian medical group in Wheeling earlier that day when the incident occurred. Officers responded to the 400 block of West Russell Street, where they found Duchon with a gunshot wound to her chest. Despite being rushed to the hospital, she succumbed to her injuries.
A male suspect was detained outside the home, and a 2-year-old child, reportedly Duchon’s daughter with the suspect, was escorted from the scene. Neighbors expressed their shock and disbelief. “It was very shocking,” said Alex Paretes. “It doesn’t happen in Barrington; it’s very odd.” Another neighbor, Juliana Etling, shared that she hadn’t heard gunshots but noted unusual cries from a toddler, according to CBS.
“My husband heard—I’m pretty sure it was their daughter crying and upset, which we usually don’t hear much,” she said. “Shortly after, the police started showing up.” The Barrington Police Department confirmed the case is being treated as a domestic incident, reassuring the community that there is no broader public threat. The Cook County Major Crimes Task Force is leading the ongoing investigation, but no charges have been confirmed yet.
Dr. Duchon, a private practitioner from Mundelein, had left Northwestern Medicine in 2023 but continued to treat patients independently. In a statement, Northwestern Medicine said, “We are devastated to hear this news. Our sympathies go out to her family during this difficult time.”
Dr. Maria Hrycelak from the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America recalled seeing Duchon just hours before her death. “She was knowledgeable and pleasant. It was just the shock. Oh my God, this young lady who we just spoke to yesterday. I shook her hand—and she’s gone now.”
Dr. Duchon left a lasting impression on her patients. One former patient, Virginia Doucet, credited Duchon with saving her life. “She treated me for years,” Doucet said. “I was close to having my organs failing, and she saw all the symptoms for what they were—instead of turning me away.” The loss of Dr. Duchon has left her community mourning the senseless tragedy while police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.
