CHICAGO — An off-duty, uniformed officer was shot and killed early Sunday in Gage Park while on his way home from work.
The Mayor’s Office identified the officer as Luis M. Huesca, who worked on the 5th District Priority Response Team. He was just two days shy of celebrating his 31st birthday and had been with the department six years, Supt. Larry Snelling said at a news conference.
At 2:53 a.m., officers went to the 5500 block of South Kedzie Avenue for a report of a gunshot, according to a preliminary statement from police. Officers looked around the area and drove to the 3100 block of West 56th Street, where they found the officer outside with gunshot wounds.
The officer was taken to University of Chicago Hospital, where he died from his wounds.
Huesca is survived by his mother and an uncle.
“Our city is grieving, and our condolences go out to their entire family as well as Luis’ fellow officers and community,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement.
Snelling said Huesca was on his way home after working. He was in his uniform, though wearing something that “covered it up,” Snelling said.
Huesca was shot multiple times, and his car was stolen, Snelling said.
“To get to the total motive of what happened, we need more information, and the detective division is working on that,” Snelling said.
Evidence was still being collected.
“He was just a great officer, great human being, and his family is dealing with a lot right now,” Snelling said at the news conference. Huesca was “working very hard out there to keep communities and to keep people safe. And today that officer was a victim of the type of crime that he was working against to keep people safe in this city.”
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.