A routine after-school pickup in Chicago’s Back of the Yards turned deadly on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Krystal Cruz, 26, was driving her 16-year-old brother and his 18-year-old friend home at about 3:30 p.m. in the 1700 block of West 50th Street when two people on a motorcycle pulled alongside and opened fire. Cruz was struck in the back and later died at the hospital; the two teens were wounded and expected to survive.

Cruz was a single mother of four daughters, ages six to ten. Family described her as happy, caring, and devoted to her children. The shooting occurred in daylight and has left the family and neighborhood deeply shaken.

The Chicago Police Department is investigating; no arrests have been announced and no suspects have been publicly identified. Cook County Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information or video footage related to the shooting is asked to come forward.