Tajanae Stephens, 22, was killed by a gunshot to the head inside a South Side Chicago apartment on May 10, 2025. Officers responding to a shooting call at a home in the 7900 block of South Essex found her body and opened an investigation into the circumstances of the firearm discharge.

Police reported that Stephens and 21-year-old Nashawn Ware, who lived in the apartment, had been handling the firearm before it discharged and struck Stephens. Ware was at the scene when officers arrived, and prosecutors charged him with involuntary manslaughter and obstruction of justice, alleging he tried to conceal the weapon. Judge Mary Marubio denied a request for pretrial detention and ordered electronic monitoring with a daily curfew.

Family and friends remember Stephens as vibrant; her death has left the community mourning. If anyone has information about what happened in that apartment on May 10, please come forward.