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Chicago Cop, Cook Co. Corrections Officer Dead In Apparent Murder-Suicide

CHICAGO (CBS) --A Cook County Corrections officer and a Chicago Police officer are dead in a murder-suicide.

The murder-suicide is confirmed by the executive director of the Cook County Department of Corrections, Cara Smith.

"We have experienced a tremendous tragedy this morning. One of our correctional officers was involved in a murder-suicide early this morning involving his wife, who is a Chicago Police officer."

Chicago Cop, Cook Co. Corrections Officer Dead In Murder-Suicide

Smith says Corrections Officer Javier Acevedo shot and killed his wife, Chicago Police Officer Veronica Acevedo.

Javier Acevedo was 50 years old and had worked for the sheriff's department for 25 years.

Officer Veronica Acevedo was also 50 years old. Chicago Police say she was an 18-year-veteran of the department and had received 23 police department awards.

It happened about 5 this morning in the couple's home in the 5300 block of South Austin - near Midway Airport.

Smith says Javier Acevedo was assigned to jail division 8, which is mixed security level.

Smith says the sheriff's office had investigated Acevedo for a road rage incident.

Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said in a statement, ""Officer Veronica Rizzo-Acevedo's death earlier today in a domestic murder-suicide is an awful tragedy for her family, her friends, her colleagues in the Chicago Police Department, and the people of this city, whom she served admirably for nearly two decades."

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