Chicago Police Department leaders scheduled a 10:30 a.m. press conference Wednesday to provide an update on the investigation of the fatal weekend shooting of off-duty Chicago police Officer Aréanah Preston on the South Side.
Five people – three men and two women – have been held since early this week in the death of 24-year-old Preston, who was found fatally shot early Saturday near her home in the Avalon Park neighborhood.
Police officials have said Preston was shot after she finished her shift in the Calumet District on the Far South Side. A responding CPD officer discovered her lying outside before driving her to University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead early Saturday.
Preston worked for the CPD for just three years prior to her killing, according to department officials. Hers is considered a line-of-duty death, which entitles her family to financial assistance from the state.
Relatives of Preston described her as “happy” and “intelligent” and dedicated to her career in criminal justice. A vigil was planned for her Tuesday evening.
Both outgoing Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson issued statements over the weekend pledging support for Preston’s family. Johnson called the slaying a “profound tragedy.”
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She had earned a master’s degree in child and family law from Loyola University Chicago, according to her LinkedIn and Facebook profiles. She graduated in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and law enforcement administration from Illinois State University, according to the sites.
Police have not not given a possible motive for the shooting, though it was being investigated as a possible robbery that took a violent turn.
