At the request of the Pike County Illinois Sheriff’s Department, the Illinois State Police (ISP) is investigating a double homicide in New Canton.
On October 2, 2025, at approximately 6 a.m., the Pike County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to a residence in the 300 block of Mississippi Street in New Canton for a report of a person being shot.
Upon arrival, responding deputies located a female victim who had been shot and was flown via Air Evac to an area hospital. The female indicated the suspect, identified as 67-year-old Gerald E. Waligorski of New Canton, had made threatening statements about her parents.
Published reports said he was the woman’s husband.
Law enforcement officials immediately conducted a welfare check at the residence of the victim’s parents, located in the 200 block of Monroe Street in New Canton. During that check, both the mother and father of the victim were located deceased inside the home.
At the same time, the PCSD requested assistance from ISP and other agencies to respond to the suspect’s home in the 300 block of Mississippi Street. The suspect, believed to still be armed, would not leave the residence. Officers secured the home for approximately five hours, and after obtaining search warrants, SWAT officers entered the home and found the suspect deceased.
There are no further public safety concerns.
This is an ongoing investigation. ISP will provide more information when available.
