Four people have been charged in connection with the weekend killing of Chicago police Officer Aréanah Preston.
No details were immediately available, but the Chicago Police Department has scheduled a press conference for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday to discuss the case.
Preston was on her way home after work early Saturday in the 8100 block of South Blackstone Avenue when robbers passed her, circled back and approached her.
She opened fire, setting off a gunfight. Preston was hit at least twice and also grazed by a bullet. ShotSpotter, the city’s gunshot detection system, picked up the barrage of gunfire, but an officer didn’t respond to the block for more than 30 minutes.
The officer then drove her to University of Chicago Medical Center, where Preston was pronounced dead.
On Sunday five suspects were taken into custody. A 20-year-old woman was arrested by a fugitive apprehension team, and four others were arrested after an hours-long standoff with police in the 7600 block of South Bishop Street.
Hundreds of police officers and mourners attend a vigil for Chicago Police Officer Areanah Preston at the 5th District Police Station, Tuesday, May 9, 2023. | Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times