In Cary, Illinois, a heart-wrenching incident has prompted a local couple to channel their grief into a mission that could save lives. Following a tragic encounter with law enforcement, they lost their son, Jake Porter, who had autism. Now, they are determined to prevent similar misunderstandings from happening to others.

Jake Porter, aged 32, was expecting to meet his parents at a nearby restaurant in the northwest suburbs. However, confusion led him to remain in his car in a parking lot. This unfortunate turn of events escalated when police officers, misunderstanding the situation, surrounded him with weapons drawn. In the ensuing chaos, Jake took his own life.

Christy Porter, Jake’s mother, finds solace in the memories captured in photographs of her eldest son. These images are now poignant reminders of the thoughtful, funny, and kind individual he was. Despite his autism, which made social connections challenging, Jake was cherished by his family and lived with them.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Struggling with the magnitude of their loss, his mother, Christy, expressed the depth of their sorrow, saying, “The world is a lesser place without my son. We will never get over it.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, remember that help is available. You can reach out to a trained crisis counselor by calling or texting the three-digit code 988. This service is free and operates 24/7. Additionally, more resources can be found at 988lifeline.org.

“The world is a lesser place without my son,” Christy Porter said. “We will never get over it.”

Jake Porter was on his way to meet his parents in a nearby neighborhood, wearing a medical mask, when he turned his car around in the street, apparently scaring two teenage girls who ran home and told their father someone tried to kidnap them, Porter’s parents explained.

The father followed Jake Porter, saw he had a gun and called police.

Lake County said the incident happened about 3:30 p.m. on July 30, 2025 in unincorporated Cary. Officers found Jake Porter in his car in a parking lot and surrounded him before he fatally shot himself.

“This was not a traffic stop,” his father Michael Porter said. “They gad guns drawn and he just made the wrong decision.”

His parents say Jake Porter suffered from anxiety and was seeing a therapist to help learn to better deal with it. Police say they get special training for dealing with those with autism.

“It’s always helpful if we know someone we are interacting with may have autism or intellectual disability, where we can adapt and perform our job differently,” Lake County Sheriff Deputy Chief Chris Covelli said.

But they didn’t know. Jake Porter’s parents say they don’t blame police. They were acting on the information they had at the time, nor did they know how their son got a gun.

The parents are speaking about it now in hopes of helping others.

“We hope another autistic person sees this and makes a different choice than Jake did,” Christy Porter said.

Jake Porter’s parents say lawyers tell them they have no legal options. They just want him to be remembered as the gentle man they say he was.

“I cant have him go down in history as a kidnapper,” Michael Porter said. “That’s just a lie.”