CHICAGO – A murder investigation is underway by police after a Chicago woman was found shot to death in the East Side neighborhood Saturday morning.
The victim’s family identified her as Sierra Evans and said she was a beloved sister, daughter, and aunt, who loved everyone. She turned 19 just days before her life was violently ripped away.
According to the Chicago Police Department, officers responded to the scene in the 9500 block of South Avenue N around 9:30 a.m. It was a 911 call from a neighbor that brought police to the area, but it’s believed the shooting took place much earlier.
Police said Evans suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
“I had to be strong,” Jose Vasquez told WGN, describing the heartbreaking moment he found the victim while going outside to his garage to feed neighborhood cats. Vasquez said he has a heart condition and while he couldn’t physically help, he knew he needed to at least get someone there.
Vasquez said he did his best to relay information to dispatch and expressed how sorry he was to see how the victim lost her life.
When asked whether anything appeared out of the ordinary, neighbor Claudia Romo said she was gone most of the day prior due to working a double shift, but when she arrived home late at night, nothing raised a red flag.
“It was so dark. My alley’s always dark, it’s never lit. I hardly ever look sideways because I can’t see anything anyway,” said Romo. “In the morning, I woke up to 10 million squad cars surrounding my house. It was extra scary.”
Romo said she was told to keep any children inside due to a crime scene investigation right outside her home. She claimed officers at the scene told her it is believed the shooting may have happened late Friday night.
“If I would have been home, I probably would have been able to save her, but I wasn’t because I stayed at work and I worked a double, so I feel kind of guilty,” said Romo. “She was a whole baby, 19 years old, her whole life ahead of her. She hasn’t even lived a quarter of her life and it’s already gone.”
According to Romo, investigators collected evidence from her yard after several bullets went through the fence. On Sunday morning she came outside to lay a candle and pay her respects to the woman whose story has left her heart shattered.
“It’s something I feel like I had to do,” said Romo. “I hope they find whoever did it because that’s not right. No matter what the person did, they never deserved to be gunned down like that, especially not that young.”
Family members of Evans said she had dreams she hoped to accomplish and wanted to have children of her own one day. They’re pleading with anyone who has information to help them get justice, to come forward to police.
It’s not believed there were any other 911 calls, including for shots fired, aside from the neighbor who found the victim, forcing investigators to piece together a timeline to determine when everything allegedly happened.
Up until a week ago, the city utilized ShotSpotter, which alerted officers to incidents of gunfire and approximate locations almost instantaneously, regardless of whether a 911 call was made. The technology, which also served the area where Evans was shot and killed, was decommissioned city-wide after the mayor declined to sign a new contract, a move largely opposed by a majority of aldermen, including 10th Ward Alderman Peter Chico.
Chico, in a statement to WGN, extended his condolences to the Evans’ family.
“I am saddened by this tragic incident. This was a young woman who had her life ahead of her. My heart goes out to her family, and I will be working with the Chicago Police Department going forward.”
No arrests have been announced and area detectives are investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact Chicago police or submit a tip anonymously at CPDTip.com.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help with burial expenses. For more information you can visit the link by clicking here