Illinois State Police Trooper, Gerald Mason, was found shot in the head — inside his squad car — on the Dan Ryan Expressway on Friday, October 1, 2021. The next day Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the 11-year veteran’s death a suicide. He was 35 years old.
Around 1:45 p.m. on Friday afternoon, red and yellow police tape extended across the inbound lanes of the Expressway near 43rd Street. A woman who noticed Mason in his SUV stopped to check on him. She used his car radio to call for help for him.
People described the frantic scene they witnessed — civilians running up to the police vehicle trying to help Mason. Within moments, officers arrived on the scene. They loaded Mason into an unmarked police vehicle and whisked him away to a hospital.
According to his mother, Linda Mason, her son wanted “to be a state trooper, ever since he was 2 years old.”
That was his dream. Eat, sleep, think about it all the time. Everybody loved him. Everybody loved my son. I can’t believe he’s gone.
Director Brendan Kelly described the Illinois State Trooper as “fearless.” He added, “We are asking the public to respectfully give consideration to the family of Trooper Mason and the whole ISP [Illinois State Police] family while we continue to grieve and work through this tragedy.”
Mason was taken to Chicago Medical center. At 2:16 p.m. he was pronounced dead. His mother made a statement outside of the hospital after her son died. She expressed how much she loved him and that she was “going to miss him so so so so much, my heart hurts so bad.”
Illinois State Troopers, Chicago Police Officers, and other law enforcement officials escorted his body from the hospital to the medical examiner’s office.
One day prior to Mason’s death; Illinois State Police announced they were doubling their patrol presence on the expressways due to the increased shootings on them.
Many people’s hearts go out to Mason’s family as they process his death. May he rest in peace.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
NBC 5 Chicago: Illinois State Trooper’s Shooting Death on Expressway Ruled a Suicide
CBS 2 Chicago: Illinois State Police Trooper Gerald Mason Dead After Being Found Shot In His SUV On Dan Ryan Expressway
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