Deshaunte C. Williams-Holly, an 18-year-old African American woman, was fatally shot just before midnight on March 8, 2025, in the 100 block of East 21st Street on Chicago’s Near South Side. She was inside a vehicle with a 38-year-old man when shots were fired from another vehicle; Williams-Holly was struck in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene. The male passenger was shot in the hand, taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and listed in good condition.

Police say the shooting unfolded during a drug transaction. Authorities report that 19-year-old Shanna Walton-Smith entered the backseat of the victims’ vehicle, after which 24-year-old Jeremiah Jordan arrived in a red SUV, blocked the car, and fired multiple shots through the windshield. Walton-Smith and Jordan were arrested about an hour after the attack following surveillance, license plate reader hits and a brief pursuit; a firearm matching scene shell casings was recovered and GPS data placed both suspects near the scene.

Walton-Smith told investigators Williams-Holly pulled a gun before Walton-Smith signaled Jordan to shoot. Both suspects face charges including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. Did anyone see activity around East 21st Street that night or know more about the people involved?