Trigger Warning: This article contains details of violence.
Weddings are generally an occasion filled with joy, love, laughter, and a milestone to celebrate togetherness. Still, alas, one in Illinois turned fatal as a man shot his daughter-in-law because he was upset about her divorcing his son, police said.
Officers with the Village of Schaumburg, a Chicago suburb, said the incident occurred around 10:15 p.m. on Friday at a Marriott hotel. The woman, 45-year-old Christine Moyer from Ohio, was found lying outside after being wounded by a gunshot.
While she was immediately rushed to the Park Ridge hospital as she suffered from a bullet wound to the head, she succumbed to bleeding and died. The alleged shooter was identified as 76-year-old Roland Schmidt.
The cops collected the gun as evidence. It was found that the shooter was present at the wedding, and as 45-year-old Christine was leaving, he followed her outside and shot her in the head. A bystander named Flory Sommers in and held him until police arrived.
As per Law&Crime, “Through the investigation, it was discovered Schmidt was upset with Moyer over divorce paperwork which was filed against his son,” cops report. Meanwhile, the bystander Flory did not know anyone at the wedding and had simply arrived at the Marriott when her friends saw the horrific shooting take place.
“I was inside by the ATM and I heard some people calling ‘gunshot!’ and then the manager said ‘was there a gunshot,’ and he said he was calling the ambulance, and then I just saw people move quickly to the elevator to the lobby,” Flory Sommers said as she spoke to the media. Convicted Roland Schmidt is currently in the Cook County Jail and is set to face the judge on July 28, 2025. Moyer reportedly filed for divorce from Michael Schmidt on July 7.
#Illinois state Senate will consider a number of extreme gun control bills. These bills ban the possession of most semi-automatic firearms by law-abiding adults aged 18-20, requiring them to be surrendered within 90 days. Take Action! #DefendTheSecond https://t.co/zoxwNOXj0y
— NRA (@NRA) March 13, 2018
Meanwhile, Illinois has some of the strongest gun safety laws in the U.S. and relatively low gun ownership. Yet, gun crimes have increased significantly over the last few years. A mass shooting occurred during an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois. The lawmakers of the state took further steps to prevent gun violence. They passed key laws, including bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
Wedding turns deadly when man upset about son’s impending divorce murders his daughter-in-law, cops say https://t.co/qj3UkKbYUz
— Law & Crime (@lawcrimenews) July 27, 2025
It’s sad that a state like Illinois, which is also known as “The Land of Lincoln” since former President Abraham Lincoln spent his formative years and began his political career, is facing trouble in limiting gun violence despite ensuring strict measures like strengthen the removal of illegal firearms, establishing a better legal team and create an Extreme Risk law to help prevent shootings before they happen.
One primary reason is that neighbouring states have much weaker gun laws. Many guns used in crimes in Illinois are traced back to purchases in other states, especially Indiana, which borders Chicago. (via Every Town Research).
I want to talk to you about some more good news on the fight to make our country safer. On January 1st – after a fight that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court – Illinois’ assault weapons and high capacity magazine restriction goes into effect. pic.twitter.com/MOxduPcMLJ
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) December 26, 2023
While gun crime remains one of the deadliest and most horrific causes of death in the United States, we can only hope that those who are convicted of the heinous crime are punished thoroughly. The victims and their families find peace and justice.
