A 12-year-old Aurora girl seriously wounded in a shooting that left her father dead and her mother and sister seriously wounded was transferred to a Chicago hospital after her condition was stabilized, according to hospital officials today.
Christine Lisowski was in serious but stable condition at Children?s Memorial Hospital, according to a nursing supervisor.
At 7:57 on Christmas morning, Christine called 911. Four minutes later, police screeched to a halt in front of the family's brick home in a posh subdivision to the sound of gunfire.
They bashed in the locked front door and found her father wounded and dying on the floor. Moments later, there were more gunshots on the second floor.
Police scaled the staircase to find Christine and her 14-year-old sister, Vickie, had both been shot and seriously wounded. In another bedroom, the girls' mother, Sungnam Lisowski, 41, lay wounded with a gun by her side.
Authorities said what is not known is what motivated Sungnam Lisowski to shoot her husband, John Lisowski, 46, and two children and then turn the gun on herself, as police said their preliminary investigation indicates.
"As to what led up to this, I really don't have knowledge," said police spokesman Dan Ferrelli.
Neighbors in the Stonebridge subdivision painted a picture of a quiet family that kept to itself during the few months it had been back from several years spent living overseas. But some said they suspected all was not well in the Lisowski home.
One neighbor said he had seen police driving up to the house as a man and a woman were arguing outside the home about two weeks ago.
Aliete Antunes, another neighbor whose daughter used to baby-sit Christine, said she recalled seeing Sungnam Lisowski looking troubled in front of her home several weeks ago.
"She looked very depressed sitting on the curbside talking to a friend," Antunes recalled. "It's so sad."
John Lisowski was pronounced dead at the scene.
Christine suffered wounds to her arm and chest. Her sister and mother were in serious but stable condition in Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora.
Police tended to the shooting victims but had to wait for a warrant to search the house because no one was available to consent to the search, Ferrelli said. Neighbors peeked from front windows while relatives arrived carrying Christmas packages. Lights and glittery Christmas decorations adorned most houses, including five red-bowed wreaths that hung outside the Lisowskis' large home in the 1400 block of Greenlake Drive.
Police would not say whether they had questioned Christine or Vickie. They said they had not yet questioned Sungnam Lisowski.
None of the neighbors interviewed recalled hearing the gunfire, though Antunes said she saw John Lisowski pull into his driveway at 7:30 a.m.
Stunned residents said their first warning of something amiss was the sight of police cars outside and a dog barking.
"We were going downstairs to open presents," said Morgan Neihardt, a 9-year-old who lives across the street. "We didn't hear a thing." Stonebridge is a subdivision of 980 homes at the northeast edge of Aurora that is known for its adjoining golf course that has hosted professional tournaments.
"It's Christmas morning ? to see all this happening, firetrucks, police. You wouldn't think something like this would happen here," said Nancy Bertschy, a neighbor. "This is a very normal, upper-middle-class neighborhood."
Bertschy described the Lisowskis as "very contained" people who were friendly but distant. "They weren't ones to have you over for a cup of coffee," Bertschy said. "They were just private people. We'd wave and say hi."
The children attend Hill School and Waubonsie Valley High School, she said.
Other neighbors said the family had owned the house for about 10 years and had recently moved back after spending about five years abroad in Australia and Sungnam Lisowski's native Korea. They had rented their house while they were gone and had moved back last summer.
Antunes said she had been friendly with Sungnam before she went abroad but hadn't spoken to her since she returned.
"She was very outgoing," Antunes recalled. "She looked like a happy person. But you never know. Maybe she was trying not to show problems."
Tribune staff reporter Deborah Horan and Tribune news services contributed to this report.
Christine Lisowski was in serious but stable condition at Children?s Memorial Hospital, according to a nursing supervisor.
At 7:57 on Christmas morning, Christine called 911. Four minutes later, police screeched to a halt in front of the family's brick home in a posh subdivision to the sound of gunfire.
They bashed in the locked front door and found her father wounded and dying on the floor. Moments later, there were more gunshots on the second floor.
Police scaled the staircase to find Christine and her 14-year-old sister, Vickie, had both been shot and seriously wounded. In another bedroom, the girls' mother, Sungnam Lisowski, 41, lay wounded with a gun by her side.
Authorities said what is not known is what motivated Sungnam Lisowski to shoot her husband, John Lisowski, 46, and two children and then turn the gun on herself, as police said their preliminary investigation indicates.
"As to what led up to this, I really don't have knowledge," said police spokesman Dan Ferrelli.
Neighbors in the Stonebridge subdivision painted a picture of a quiet family that kept to itself during the few months it had been back from several years spent living overseas. But some said they suspected all was not well in the Lisowski home.
One neighbor said he had seen police driving up to the house as a man and a woman were arguing outside the home about two weeks ago.
Aliete Antunes, another neighbor whose daughter used to baby-sit Christine, said she recalled seeing Sungnam Lisowski looking troubled in front of her home several weeks ago.
"She looked very depressed sitting on the curbside talking to a friend," Antunes recalled. "It's so sad."
John Lisowski was pronounced dead at the scene.
Christine suffered wounds to her arm and chest. Her sister and mother were in serious but stable condition in Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora.
Police tended to the shooting victims but had to wait for a warrant to search the house because no one was available to consent to the search, Ferrelli said. Neighbors peeked from front windows while relatives arrived carrying Christmas packages. Lights and glittery Christmas decorations adorned most houses, including five red-bowed wreaths that hung outside the Lisowskis' large home in the 1400 block of Greenlake Drive.
Police would not say whether they had questioned Christine or Vickie. They said they had not yet questioned Sungnam Lisowski.
None of the neighbors interviewed recalled hearing the gunfire, though Antunes said she saw John Lisowski pull into his driveway at 7:30 a.m.
Stunned residents said their first warning of something amiss was the sight of police cars outside and a dog barking.
"We were going downstairs to open presents," said Morgan Neihardt, a 9-year-old who lives across the street. "We didn't hear a thing." Stonebridge is a subdivision of 980 homes at the northeast edge of Aurora that is known for its adjoining golf course that has hosted professional tournaments.
"It's Christmas morning ? to see all this happening, firetrucks, police. You wouldn't think something like this would happen here," said Nancy Bertschy, a neighbor. "This is a very normal, upper-middle-class neighborhood."
Bertschy described the Lisowskis as "very contained" people who were friendly but distant. "They weren't ones to have you over for a cup of coffee," Bertschy said. "They were just private people. We'd wave and say hi."
The children attend Hill School and Waubonsie Valley High School, she said.
Other neighbors said the family had owned the house for about 10 years and had recently moved back after spending about five years abroad in Australia and Sungnam Lisowski's native Korea. They had rented their house while they were gone and had moved back last summer.
Antunes said she had been friendly with Sungnam before she went abroad but hadn't spoken to her since she returned.
"She was very outgoing," Antunes recalled. "She looked like a happy person. But you never know. Maybe she was trying not to show problems."
Tribune staff reporter Deborah Horan and Tribune news services contributed to this report.
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