Cary man fatally shoots himself after menacing teens with a gun, mask: police

A Cary man died from a self-inflicted gunshot after he was reported to be brandishing a gun around neighborhoods near the Fel-Pro RRR Conservation Area in Cary, officials reported.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about 3:25 p.m. in the area of Fox River and North Harvest Glen roads near Cary for a report of two teen girls being approached by a “suspicious man,” Lake County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Christopher Covelli said in a news release.

The two teens were walking when a sedan, driven by a 32-year-old Cary man, “pulled in front of them, parked in the direction they were walking and exited wearing a mask,” Covelli said in the release. The girls ran toward their home and notified the father and older brother of one of the girls.

The father and brother drove through the subdivision and found the car when the driver blocked their path and “brandished a firearm,” Covelli said. A 911 call was placed, dispatching the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office to the scene.

A sheriff’s deputy and a McHenry County Conservation District police officer found the car and tried to pull over the driver in a parking lot in the area of Crystal Lake Road and Foxford Drive, near the conservation area.

“The driver of the car retrieved the firearm and shot himself,“ Covelli said in the release. ”Lifesaving efforts were attempted, and he was transported to an area hospital in Lake County, where he was subsequently pronounced deceased.”

On Wednesday, the Lake County Coroner’s Office identified the man as Michael Porter, 32, of Cary. The coroner’s office said preliminary findings show he died of a gunshot wound to the neck.

MCCD police are investigating the death, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the preceding events, Covelli said.

“This is undoubtedly a tragic situation for everyone involved,” Covelli said. “The teens in this case did the right thing by not engaging with the man and running away, while summoning trusted adults to help them. We are very thankful they are safe.”

An MCCD spokesperson said via email Wednesday: “This is still an ongoing investigation, and we are unable to provide any further details at this time. Once the investigation is concluded and facts have been substantiated, we will be able to provide those to you.”