Gresham Chicago went quiet in the middle of a busy afternoon when gunfire tore through a moving car and ended the life of Gabryel Ayers. She was 26 years old. She was riding with a man and a baby when the bullets started flying. By the time the echoes faded, one woman was dying, one man was wounded, and a child was left miraculously untouched.
The shooting unfolded around 1:25 p.m. Wednesday on the 7900 block of South May Street. A white Chevrolet sedan was struck by heavy gunfire while in motion. The driver lost control and slammed into a brown GMC van. Neighbors rushed outside to a scene filled with shattered glass, screaming sirens, and fear hanging in the air.
Ayers was hit multiple times. Paramedics raced her to OSF Little Company of Mary Medical Center in critical condition. Doctors fought for her life, but she did not survive. Her death added another name to a growing list of lives lost to sudden street violence.
The 27-year-old man in the car was also shot, taking rounds to his arm and buttocks. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. Police said he was in good condition and expected to recover physically, though the trauma will likely last far longer.
In the back seat sat a baby girl under one year old. She was not hit. Not a scratch. In a moment that felt almost unreal, officers confirmed the child was unharmed despite dozens of shots ripping through the vehicle. The driver of the GMC van declined medical treatment.
Investigators believe at least three attackers were involved. Witnesses reported long guns and a rapid burst of fire. Evidence markers scattered across the street suggested more than 50 rounds were fired before the shooters fled. No arrests have been announced, and the motive remains unclear.
Ayers’ godfather, Pastor Kirk Bell, struggled to hold back his anger and grief. He condemned the violence in blunt terms, saying the shooters showed no respect for life. His words echoed the frustration of a community tired of burying its young.
Detectives continue to canvas the area for cameras and witnesses. For now, Gresham is left with grief, unanswered questions, and a baby who survived a storm of bullets that took a woman who mattered deeply to the people who loved her.
