The two men found dead next to a burning Highland Park house are brothers who were shot to death, Lake County authorities said.
The coroner’s officer identified the men as Marc Austwick, 63, of Lake Forest, and John Austwick, 60, of Mundelein. The brothers both died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the coroner’s office.
Their bodies were found outside a burning home in Highland Park at around 4 a.m. Wednesday by firefighters responding to reports of the blaze.
The coroner put out a statement Tuesday night that said in part, “Based on preliminary information gathered thus far, this incident appears to be isolated, and there is no known threat to the community.”
According to public records, the house where the Austwick brothers were found, in the 1700 block of Park Avenue West, was the former residence of their mother, Phyllis, and their brother Jeffrey. An online obituary said Phyllis died on May 31 at age 84, and was the mother of five.
The Lake County Major Crime Task Force has been called in to assist the investigation.
