Colleagues are remembering Maclaine Schmidt, 22, of Lake Bluff as a passionate young chef after he was killed Oct. 18 in a Mundelein murder-suicide.
Restaurateur Bruno Abate, who owns Follia in Lake Forest, called Schmidt a "brilliant and passionate chef" in a social media tribute, as first reported by the Chicago Tribune's Russell Lissau. Schmidt had worked for Abate for two years.
"Mac was kind, genuine and humble," Abate wrote.
Abate also described Schmidt as an extraordinary young man.
Schmidt was the youngest of five people found dead inside a Mundelein home on Oct. 18. He was fatally shot by his father, Bryan Schmidt, inside his paternal grandparents' home, according to Mundelein police. Bryan Schmidt also killed his parents, 80-year-old James Schmidt and 77-year-old Rebecca Schmidt, and his 37-year-old girlfriend, Nicole A. Heiser of Antioch, before killing himself, the Tribune reported.
Police discovered the five bodies after another family member could not reach her relatives and requested a well-being check. Two handguns police believe were used in the attacks and suicide notes were found. The killings and possible motive remained under investigation as of Oct. 26.
Schmidt had been pursuing his love of the culinary arts before his death. A GoFundMe campaign organized by Adriano Bruzzone describes him as someone who "was carving out his own path in restaurant kitchens across the North Shore."
The fundraiser had raised more than $21,000 from over 140 donors as of Oct. 27. Contributions will help Shelby and Anthony with funeral arrangements, grief counseling, legal and administrative costs, and essential living expenses, according to the campaign. Organizers noted that state victim assistance reviews can take months, and the family's practical expenses cannot wait.
The Lake County coroner's office indicated Schmidt's remains will be transformed into soil by a company called Earth Funeral. Funeral arrangements for his grandparents and father are pending.
