Man Charged With Killing Wife Day After Domestic Arrest

Police say 74-year-old man survived failed murder-suicide attempt

A 74-year-old north suburban man charged with killing his wife in a failed murder-suicide attempt had been arrested for domestic battery the previous day.

Howard Kim, who was released this week from Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge after being treated for a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, now faces a murder charge for killing his wife, 71-year-old Chung Kim.

The elderly couple was found unresponsive with gunshot wounds in their home in the 5500 block of Madison Street in Morton Grove on Friday, according to Morton Grove police.

Chung Kim was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. An autopsy Sunday found she died of multiple gunshot wounds and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

Morton Grove Police Commander Paul Yaras told the Pioneer Press that Chung Kim called police on June 26 to report a domestic dispute with her husband.

A neighbor across the street, who asked not to be identified, said he saw the woman taken away in an ambulance on the Thursday before the murder, while her husband was arrested outside the home.

Howard Chung was released the following day after Yaras said his wife refused to press charges.

“He had slapped her, but there were no visible injuries,” Yaras said. “We had him locked up, but the State’s Attorney’s office decided not to prosecute because she didn’t pursue the charges and there was no physical evidence of an injury.”

What happened on Friday night is not entirely clear, but police say Howard Kim shot his wife several times before turning the gun on himself.

A family member called police to “report a problem at the house,” police said.

When officers arrived, they found the couple lying on the floor unresponsive.

Neighbors described the Kims as a quiet couple who kept to themselves.

The June 26 arrest was Howard Kim’s first run-in with Morton Grove police, Yaras said.

The fatal shooting was the first murder in the community in 14 years.

Howard Kim has been charged with first-degree murder and will appear in court at a later date.

Copyright CHIST - SunTimes
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