The authorities said that a teacher from northwest Indiana was found dead in a school stairwell after they did not show up after a relative came to the school to pick them up, according to the New York Post. The body was not discovered until the next morning.

Craig Jones, 47, was discovered by the maintenance staff at the school. He was found on the landing on a second-floor stairwell at East Chicago Lighthouse Charter School, according to the authorities.

Initial findings in the investigation indicate that Jones contacted his family Thursday night to ask for a ride home around 10:30 p.m. The call came after he communicated that he had to return to work late. However, when the family member showed up, Jones did not leave the building.

The family member ultimately left the school when they did not hear from Jones.

A second report mentioned that officers were called to the school around 6:40 a.m. the following morning after Jones' body was found at the school. The school's location is about 25 miles east of Chicago.

Deputy coroner, Eric Graf, said that the cause of death has not yet been identified. The police said that there was no reason to suspect foul play in the incident, according to the Lake County Prosecutor's Homicide Task Force.

It is unclear if Jones had any underlying health conditions, or if he indicated that he was not feeling well when he called the family member to come pick him up.

In late 2023, a special education teacher in the Chicago area was fatally shot by her ex-boyfriend who had shown serious signs of violence against the teacher. The suspect in the case had previously shot an Illinois State Police trooper in Springfield, Illinois.

Adrianna Lopez, 37, was gunned down outside her home in late October 2023. She was shot more than ten times, according to reports.

Her sister, Norma Lopez, said "[s]he was a great person, she cared about her family and other people. She was joyful."

Lopez's niece, Michelle Martinez, said the family learned of the horrific incident through social media.

“CPD is not letting us know anything,” Martinez said. “We are very concerned, and we just want to know what’s really going on. We’re trying to apply as much pressure as we can.”

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