Mercedes Tavares, 24, was killed in a shooting in the 5500 block of West School Street in Chicago just before 2:30 a.m. on December 11, 2022. She was one of three people who died after a quarrel that began inside the Vera Lounge in the Portage Park neighborhood and spilled into the street; the other fatalities were 50-year-old Ricky Vera and 26-year-old Mario Pozuelos. A 25-year-old woman was also critically injured.

Police identified 32-year-old Samuel Parsons-Salas as the person who allegedly shot four people, including Tavares, then fled in a dark-colored SUV. Parsons-Salas was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of kidnapping; the kidnapping charge alleges he forced his girlfriend to drive him away at gunpoint. Family members say Tavares was a mother to infant twins and a young son. Prosecutors say Parsons-Salas admitted shooting people who called his name and expressed regret for shooting Tavares.

A GoFundMe was started by the father of her children to help cover funeral expenses. If anyone was at the Vera Lounge or nearby that night and saw what happened, please share information with investigators.