Demyra S. Thornton was 17 when she was shot dead in her North Lawndale home on January 17, 2021. Police were called about 4:20 a.m. to a residence on the 1200 block of South Kedvale Avenue and found Demyra with a gunshot wound to the chest. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and pronounced dead at 4:59 a.m.; the Cook County medical examiner ruled the death a homicide from a gunshot wound.

Chicago police say they have been unable to reconstruct the events that led to the shooting. No arrests have been announced and investigators report a lack of suspects or witnesses, which has stalled progress. Her death occurred during a weekend that saw multiple fatal shootings, including other teenagers, and has been felt as part of a broader surge of gun violence in the city.

Anyone with information about what happened that night is asked to contact police.