Oswego Police have arrested Darryl Lee Jr., a 19-year-old from Kankakee, for a stabbing spree inside a Chick-fil-A in suburban Chicago, resulting in the death of a delivery driver and injuries to a maintenance worker, as reported by NBC Chicago. The incident, which occurred at about 5 a.m. Wednesday morning unfolded when Lee allegedly attacked Tracey J. Land, 52, a delivery driver, with a hammer and a knife, and subsequently attempted to clean up the crime scene inside the restaurant.
Authorities believe Lee then left the restaurant where he encountered the two maintenance workers, a mother and her 20-year-old son, where Lee, without warning and apparently unprovoked, stabbed the younger man from behind; despite his injuries, the mother and son duo managed to subdue Lee and hold him until the Oswego police promptly arrived, developing further respect for the courage the pair displayed as "the courageous acts of these two workers, a son and a mother, which resulted in the capture of the offender," according to a statement obtained by NBC Chicago.
Lee is facing a series of charges, including first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder; the aggressor is being held at the Kendall County Jail and was set for his initial court appearance on Friday. Oswego Police Chief Jason Bastin expressed his heartfelt condolences, stating, "Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and everyone affected by this tragic incident," in a release that shed light on the gravity of the situation.
The attack began when Land was delivering to the fast-food establishment around 3:10 a.m., and Lee forcibly entered and initiated the assault, leaving Land dead at the scene, as Land's cause and manner of death are still under investigation, the maintenance worker, however, is in stable condition after being attended to at a nearby hospital and this information comes in the wake of a prior encounter between Lee and law enforcement in September 2025, concerning a "suspicious circumstances call," although the officers found no evidence to support Lee's claim of witnessed individuals with handguns, recalled by NBC Chicago.
Further details and updates on the judicial proceedings are expected to emerge as Lee awaits adjudication of the felonies levelled against him detailed in the charges listed by CBS News Chicago, which include the concealment of homicidal death, aggravated battery, armed robbery, armed violence, and burglary in addition to the aforementioned murder charges.
