An off-duty Chicago police officer was tragically shot and killed in the Avalon Park neighborhood early Saturday morning. The officer has not yet been publically identified. She was headed home from work when the incident occurred around 1:42 a.m. on the 8100 block of South Blackstone Avenue.
Another officer responded to the scene after being alerted by the city’s ShotSpotter gunshot detection system, which indicated that nine rounds had been fired. The wounded officer was found outside, more than 30 minutes after the initial ShotSpotter alert, according to radio traffic.
The responding officer transported the injured colleague in a police vehicle to the University of Chicago Medical Center. Sadly, the officer succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
There have been no suspects arrested yet, and police are investigating whether the slain officer’s firearm was stolen during the incident. The officer, a three-year veteran of the police department, had been working in the Calumet District.
During a press conference held outside the hospital on Saturday, an emotional Mayor Lori Lightfoot expressed her condolences to the officer’s family, who she described as “shattered.”
Interim Police Superintendent Eric Carter also spoke at the press conference, urging the public to pray for the fallen officer, her family, and officers in the Chicago Police Department.
Authorities continue their investigation in hopes of bringing the responsible party to justice.