Coroner’s Jury Rules Mundelein Woman’s Death a Homicide; Family Urges Criminal Charges Against Officer

July 30, 2026

A still image shows Mary Alice Love, 37, of Mundelein, walking up to a sliding glass door at the rear of her home as a police officer fatally shoots her while she reportedly held large knives on May 11. | Background Photo: Screengrab; Inset: Provided

WAUKEGAN, Ill. — A Lake County coroner’s jury has ruled that the death of Mary Alice Love, the 37-year-old Mundelein woman fatally shot by police during a mental health crisis in May, was a homicide, a finding her family described as a major step toward accountability as they continue to seek criminal charges against the officer who fired the fatal shots.

The ruling came Wednesday following a coroner’s inquest at the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan. During the public hearing, six jurors reviewed testimony and evidence before determining that Love’s manner of death was homicide.

Following the inquest, attorney Kevin O’Connor joined members of the Love family for a press conference outside the courthouse.

“Today was a significant victory for the Love family,” O’Connor said.

O’Connor said the jury was responsible for determining whether Love’s death was undetermined, accidental, suicide, or homicide.

“There was a Coroner’s Inquest that involved an independent jury who had to rule whether or not Mary Alice Love’s death was undetermined, accidental, suicide, or homicide. The Village of Mundelein and its police department had put out a narrative that Mary Alice Love was trying to commit suicide which is why this encounter happened,” O’Connor said.

“A jury has now concluded that this was not suicide, it was a homicide by Sergeant Christopher Brigano.”

A woman, who was reportedly suicidal and armed with two large knives, was shot and killed by a police officer at a home in the 1100 block of Ashbrook Drive in Mundelein on May 11. | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim

Love was shot on May 11 after Mundelein police responded to her home in the 1100 block of Ashbrook Drive for what authorities described as a mental health emergency. Police said Love was armed with two large knives and had made suicidal statements before the encounter escalated. Sergeant Christopher Brigano fired the shots that killed her.

After Wednesday’s inquest, the Love family met privately with Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart and members of his office to discuss the criminal investigation.

O’Connor said the meeting left the family optimistic.

“The family is very pleased with the outcome of that meeting. Mr. Rinehart indicated that the last piece of evidence that the underlying investigating team was waiting for was the jury’s decision from the Coroner’s Inquest,” O’Connor said.

Around 100 people march down Route 45 in Mundelein in June to protest the fatal police-involved shooting of Mary Alice Love, 37, that occurred in Mundelein on May 11. | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim

According to O’Connor, the family is now urging prosecutors to file criminal charges against Brigano.

A coroner’s inquest is a public legal proceeding that examines the manner and circumstances of a person’s death. While a jury’s finding of homicide means the death was caused by another person, it does not determine criminal guilt or legal justification and does not automatically result in criminal charges. The decision whether to prosecute now rests with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, which will review the evidence before determining whether charges are warranted.

The shooting has remained under intense public scrutiny since May, with Love’s family maintaining that officers failed to appropriately de-escalate the encounter during her mental health crisis. Wednesday’s inquest marks a significant development in the case, but the legal process is expected to continue as prosecutors determine their next steps.