A 25-year-old woman was shot and killed Friday evening while walking through an alley in the West Chatham neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, authorities said. The gunfire erupted around 5:20 p.m., leaving her critically wounded before she was rushed to a hospital and later pronounced dead. Police said no one was in custody as detectives opened a homicide investigation.
Chicago police said the woman was walking in an alley near the 8000 block of South Harvard Avenue when she heard a loud noise and then realized she had been shot around 5:20 p.m., according to ABC7 Chicago. Officers reported she had suffered a single gunshot wound to the head, and the outlet noted that her identity had not yet been released.
Paramedics took the woman to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, where she was later pronounced dead, FOX 32 Chicago reported.
Chicago Police Department Area Two detectives are leading the investigation, and no arrests have been announced as of Friday night, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Neighborhood Pattern
The killing adds to a run of recent violence in West Chatham. On Dec. 20, three people were shot while riding in a vehicle on the South Side, and those victims were also taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, according to NBC Chicago.
Police Appeal
Police have asked anyone with information or video from the alley or surrounding area to contact Area Two detectives, officials told FOX 32 Chicago. Investigators stressed that surveillance footage and community tips can play a key role in identifying whoever pulled the trigger.
Local coverage has noted a string of holiday-period shootings across Chicago, underscoring a persistent challenge for both police and residents, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
