CHICAGO — A bright young woman known to friends as “Gabby” died in a sudden midday shooting near 79th Street and May Street on Wednesday that has left a community stunned and searching for answers.
Police say 26‑year‑old Gina Ayres was in the passenger seat of a white car around 1:25 p.m. when gunfire erupted. Officers responding to calls of shots fired found her with multiple bullet wounds. Paramedics rushed her to LCM Hospital, but Ayres was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The driver of the same car, a 27‑year‑old man, was also struck — in the arm and buttocks — but sources on the scene say he was in stable condition after being treated at the hospital. In the back seat, a small child — just a baby — somehow walked away without injury. It was a relief for everyone there in a moment that could have been far worse.
Witnesses told police the victims were driving along when a red SUV pulled up alongside them. Four people inside that vehicle opened fire, striking the car again and again. The white car then collided with a van as the suspects sped off into the busy neighborhood.
Heart‑pounding videos of the shooting and crash have circulated online, showing the terror in real time. But despite the footage and public outcry, no one is in custody yet. Chicago Police Department detectives from the Area Detectives Unit are actively investigating.
Friends and family described Ayres as a warm and lively young woman, deeply loved and taken too soon. Her death has sparked an outpouring of grief across community pages and local conversations, with many urging calm and justice.
Police are asking anyone who might have seen the red SUV or has video or information that could help to reach out — either anonymously at CPDTIP.COM or by calling the 6th District at (312) 745‑3610. In the meantime, authorities say they are following all leads, determined to bring answers in a case that has shaken neighbors on Chicago’s South Side.
