(ProsperNews.net) – A police officer was shot dead on his way home from work in Chicago on the early morning of Sunday, April 21. Officer Luis Huesca was still in uniform when fellow officers found him with multiple gunshot wounds. Huesca’s car was taken in the attack, but police could not confirm that the killing was part of a carjacking.
Superintendent Larry Snelling told reporters that while Mr. Huesca was in uniform, he wore a covering on his upper body as is customary for off-duty police in the Windy City. Mr. Snelling said it was another “sad day” for Chicago, adding that the officer died in circumstances he tried to protect others from. First responders transported Officer Huesca to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died hours later.
Colleagues found Huesca’s body after responding to a gunshot alert call on the city’s southwest side at around 3 am. The officer had served with Chicago Police for six years and was days away from his 31st birthday.
Mayor Brandon Johnson issued a statement saying no community should have to contend with such tragedies. He said the city is grieving and offered his condolences to Mr. Huesca’s family and friends, as well as fellow officers. Mr. Johnson added that he had met with the officer’s mother and offered her his administration’s full support. The Mayor promised that his office would provide any resources needed to apprehend those responsible.
The Officer Down Memorial Page, which documents deaths of law enforcement officers across the United States, lists more than 500 Chicago Police on-duty fatalities dating back to 1853. Listed below Mr. Huesca is Officer Areanah M. Preston, who died from gunfire on May 6, 2023. Last March, Officer Andres M. Vazquez was also killed by a gunshot. Overall, 380 out of 562 officers have died amid gunfire in Chicago. The second highest cause of on-duty death is automobile crashes.
Officer Huesca’s death remains under investigation, and no suspects have yet been detained.
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