A 40-year-old man on Joliet’s far west side shot his wife before dying by suicide, according to a preliminary investigation by police.

About 5:50 a.m. Monday, officers responded to a residence in the 1800 block of Burshire Court after receiving multiple calls of a possible shooting, according to a statement from Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English.

The Burshire Court home is within the city limits of Joliet but has a Plainfield mailing address. The court is a cul-de-sac with a handful of houses.

The Kendall County Coroner’s Office has released the names of the couple.

Ryan Heit, 40, was found by officers in the yard of a residence with an apparent fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to English and the coroner’s office.

Inside the residence, officers found Jennifer Heit, 40, with a fatal gunshot wound, according to English and the coroner’s office.

The couple’s four children were found unharmed inside the home and released to the care of another family member, English said.

“The incident was not witnessed by the children,” he said.

Officers and detectives determined the shooting is a “domestic-related” incident following a preliminary investigation, English said.

“It is alleged that the male shot and killed his wife and then exited the home and took his own life with the handgun. The handgun was recovered during this investigation,” English said.

I never saw that coming. They were just normal people.

—  Victoria Taylor, neighbor

English said the police department have not responded to any domestic incidents at the Burshire address when asked whether police responded to any past domestic incidents involving the couple.

Neighbor Victoria Taylor, who lives on Burshire Court, said that sometime around 5:45 a.m. she heard an argument taking place outdoors.

“I heard someone say, ‘Go. Get into the car,’” she said. “Then I heard a couple of shots.”

Taylor said she did not know the couple. But her child played with one of their children, and they seemed like an average family in the neighborhood.

“I never saw that coming,” she said of the shooting. “They were just normal people.”

Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact the Joliet Police Department’s Investigation Division at 815-724- 3020.

“If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, please call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline,” according to English’s statement.

Help is available for people experiencing domestic violence in Kendall and Will counties.

They can contact Guardian Angel Community Services’ Groundwork Domestic Violence Program at 815-729-1228 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.