CHICAGO — The man believed to have shot and killed three family members in central Illinois — including his former college roommate — before threatening far-right streamer Nick Fuentes at his Berwyn home last month had grown “depressed” and “distant” in the weeks leading up to the attack, newly released police records show.

John Lyons, 24, of Westchester, was fatally shot by a Berwyn police officer Dec. 18 after a foot chase. Hours earlier, before he drove nearly 150 miles to Fuentes’ house, Lyons had allegedly shot and killed 23-year-old Caleb Mason, his former college roommate, in Mahomet, a small village about 11 miles northwest of Champaign, records said.

In the shooting, he also is suspected of killing Mason’s sister and mother, 26-year-old Sara Mason and 61-year-old Janis Mason, authorities said. Why Lyons drove to Berwyn after the time of the shooting, or why he allegedly went to Fuentes’ residence, isn’t detailed in police records.

Late last year, Fuentes’ address had been widely leaked in response to his “Your body. My choice. Forever” comments after the presidential election. Illinois State Police said in a statement Friday that their investigation into the incident is “open and ongoing.”

Lyons ‘angry’ and ‘belligerent’ toward officers

In the weeks before the shooting, Lyons’ parents told police that their son had become “depressed” and “distant,” and had moved back in with them and quit his job, according to a Berwyn police report. They said he had struggled after his roommate Caleb allegedly beat him up in 2022, and that he had sued after criminal charges were declined.

Lyons’ parents also told police that their son was “angry” and “belligerent” toward officers who contacted him after he allegedly was involved in a hit-and-run in Proviso Township in September. Court records show he was scheduled to appear in Cook County court in Bridgeview on Dec. 19 in that case.

The night of the shooting, Lyons’ parents said they were out at a party but suspected that something wasn’t right with their son, according to Berwyn police records. They told police their last contact with Lyons was about 11:25 p.m. Records show that would have been minutes before he allegedly showed up to Fuentes’ house and after the time of the fatal shooting.

They said he lied to them about his location and didn’t come home when he said he would. When he didn’t respond to their calls after a few hours, they reported him missing to the Westchester Police Department, records said. They told police they weren’t aware of any connection Lyons may have had with Berwyn.

Lyons shows up to Mason family home

Lyons allegedly first showed up to the Mason home in the 1100 block of Riverside Drive on Dec. 18 about 6:30 p.m., asking for Caleb, according to Mahomet police records.

A friend who lived with the Mason family said he told Lyons that Caleb wasn’t home, but found the interaction “odd” and messaged Caleb’s sister on Discord about it, according to the records.

Sara arrived home just before 9 p.m., and Lyons was allegedly waiting outside wearing a motorcycle helmet, according to the woman who gave Sara a ride home, Mahomet police show. She said she overheard Sara say “he isn’t home, he’s at work.”

“Trying not to be scared suburban white woman about the dude waiting outside of my house for a ... While now? Wanting to speak to my brother while wearing a motorcycle helmet (drive in a car),” Sara wrote on her X account.

“He like left but probably will be back. Anyway,” she added.

At 9:08 p.m., Lyons knocked on the front door again, records show. This time he spoke with Janis, referring to himself as “Jack” when asking about Caleb, police said. The friend who lived with the family again messaged Sara on Discord, saying “I think the guy is back and your mom is talking to him,” police records show.

After Lyons left, Janis told the friend that the family “doesn’t like” Lyons because of the pending lawsuit, according to police.

The friend then returned to the basement to play “Borderlands 3” on his laptop. About 30 minutes later, he heard what sounded like gunshots and went upstairs. He found Sara lying in the doorway to the garage, Caleb in the driver’s seat of a vehicle and Janis lying in the driveway, all with gunshot wounds, records showed. He then called 911.

After authorities arrived, Sara was pronounced dead at the scene. Janis and Caleb were transported to a nearby hospital where they were pronounced dead.

Lyons drives nearly 150 miles to Berwyn

That same night, Lyons drove nearly 150 miles to Berwyn, showing up with a gun near the front door of an apartment building, according to a Berwyn police report. The resident then called 911, reporting someone with a backpack.

The name of the caller is redacted from police records, but Fuentes posted on his X account that a man came up to his door carrying what looked to be a pistol and crossbow while he was livestreaming. Wearing a motorcycle helmet, the man yells “Yo, Nick” in the surveillance footage Fuentes posted. Police entered this footage into evidence, records show.

“I will now have to uproot my life and relocate,” Fuentes said. “While I can handle whatever comes to my front door, it is irresponsible to expect my neighbors with young families to share that burden.”

Fuentes, an incendiary online creator known for his racist and antisemitic comments, said he’d been harassed at his home when his address was leaked after he made the “Your body. My choice. Forever” statements on X after Donald Trump won the presidential election. He was later charged with battery for allegedly pepper-spraying a woman who showed up at the address in November.

When officers responded to the scene Dec. 18, Lyons had allegedly fled on foot, the police report said. Cops retraced his path, and found a backpack with ammunition, a pistol crossbow, liquid accelerants and identifying documents inside, police said.

Meanwhile, Lyons allegedly went inside another home through an unlocked basement door. When the resident went into the basement to investigate the “suspicious noises,” he found Lyons, who then fired shots at him, the report said. The shots hit two dogs, who later died. The victim ran upstairs to escape, and held a door closed so Lyons couldn’t go up to the second floor, the report said.

Police said Lyons then left the home, and ran into a nearby backyard. He allegedly fired at officers who had converged in the alley, hitting the window of a police squad car, the report said. Multiple officers fired back, fatally shooting him, according to the report. No officers were injured.

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