A suspected road rage encounter in Chicago has ended in tragedy after Rosa Hernandez Rivera, a 32-year-old mother of five, died from a gunshot wound to the head, two weeks after someone opened fire on the vehicle carrying her and her family.
Rosa died on Thursday, November 5, following the October 22 shooting in the Brighton Park neighborhood. She had been hospitalized in critical condition since the attack, while her loved ones waited and prayed for her recovery.
The shooting happened around 9:30 a.m. in the 2400 block of West 47th Street. Police said Rosa was inside a vehicle when a gray sedan pulled alongside it and someone inside began shooting. One of the bullets struck her in the head.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting raised concerns about a possible road rage encounter. Fifteenth Ward Alderman Raymond Lopez had earlier said the incident appeared to have started with a confrontation between drivers that may have continued for several blocks before the gunfire.
Witnesses reportedly identified the suspected vehicle as a gray, four-door Toyota Scion fitted with a rear bike rack. After the shooting, the vehicle fled southbound on Western Avenue. Police also reviewed surveillance footage from nearby businesses as investigators worked to establish what happened.
Rosa was traveling with her boyfriend and two children when the shooting occurred. Her sister, who had spoken publicly about the family’s ordeal, previously said Rosa was in a medically induced coma. Despite the family’s hopes that she would pull through, she died after two weeks in the hospital.
The loss has left Rosa’s five children without their mother. Her relatives are now dealing with the pain of losing her while also seeking answers about why someone would open fire on a vehicle carrying a family.
Chicago police are investigating the shooting as a homicide. No arrests had been announced as of Thursday, November 5. Cook County Crime Stoppers has offered a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the person responsible.
Rosa’s family is now left with funeral arrangements and other expenses following her death. An online fundraiser has been created to help them through this difficult period.
For her loved ones, the tragedy goes beyond the shooting itself. A woman who left home with her family never got the chance to return to the life and children she cared for. Her family is now calling for justice, hoping the person responsible will be found before another family experiences the same kind of loss.