A DGS graduate is being held in the DuPage County Jail with a bond set at $3 million after police investigation of the murder taking place in a home on the 2100 block of 63rd street, less than a mile away from DGS, on Jan. 9.

On Jan. 11, police charged Kevin D. James, 23, with the first degree murder of his mother, Patricia James, 51. James graduated from DGS in 2012.

According to the Chicago Tribune, James said he stabbed his mother repeatedly to “send his mother to heaven.” James’s younger sister called 911 to report the incident  after being reportedly chased out of the home by James.

Don Borrows, 82, lives across the street from the home and witnessed James before his arrest. In an interview with The Blueprint, Borrows described James as standing outside for ten minutes after exiting his home, “looking up to the heavens,” Borrows said.

James then reportedly continued to place himself in the middle of the busy 63rd street, attempting to stop cars.

“He was stopping cars and people were blowing their horns, and going over curbs to keep going. Then this guy would stop cars, because he would stand right in front of them and then he would walk around to the driver’s side; I imagine trying to get in,” Borrows said.

According to Borrows, James then headed back toward his home, where he was soon arrested by police officers. His mother was carried out on a stretcher shortly following his arrest and taken to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, where she was pronounced dead.

The scene following James’s arrest attracted the attention of many neighbors, including current DGS students. The home was surrounded by emergency vehicles and helicopters buzzed through the neighborhood. The home remains surrounded by yellow police tape. Senior Emma Gannaway lives only blocks from the scene.

“On my way home I saw all of the emergency lights first. As I got closer, I noticed that there were at least four cop cars and three all-black vans…The fact that the entire house, side yard and backyard were crossed off with barricade tape, I knew it was an active crime scene,” Gannaway said.

DGN graduate Faith LaMantia witnessed the scene shortly after the crime occurred. She told the Blueprint that she noticed an extreme number of police cars and crime scene tape around the house while driving a friend home.

“Through the whole time I was sitting and watching what was going on, police and special positions were entering and exiting,” LaMantia said.

LaMantia said bright lights shining on the house made it visible from many feet away, and the brother’s white Camaro was parked in the grass.

James’s neighbor Miranda Schmitt noticed police vehicles present at the scene until at least 9 p.m. on Jan. 9 and the sheriff was in the driveway until “later in the evening,” on Jan. 10, Schmitt said.

“I feel terrible for the family with a traumatic event. It’s pretty crazy to think that could happen in our own neighborhood and just a couple of houses down,” Schmitt said.

Senior Adam Chaplin also expressed his concern.

“I think it’s kind of crazy how that can happen so close to the school and my house because usually stuff like that never happens around here,” Chaplin said.

James in due back in court on Jan. 26 for an arraignment and ruling on a psychological exam request suggested by Assistant State’s Attorney Megan McGuire-Bachman, according to the Chicago Tribune.