On May 9, 2023, 44-year-old mother Nicole Watson was fatally shot in Chicago’s Near West Side while picking up her 13-year-old son, Jacob, from her parents’ home in the 2300 block of West Van Buren Street. As they were getting into their car, gunfire erupted from outside the gated apartment complex at Oakley Boulevard and Van Buren. Watson was killed and Jacob sustained a severe head injury; witnesses described several men exiting a car that was driving the wrong way on Van Buren before shots were fired. Bullets struck Watson’s car and nearby buildings and windows, and surveillance cameras in the area may have recorded the shooter’s vehicle. No arrests have been made and the CPD says the investigation remains open. The family has held memorials and vigils, and Jacob spent several months in the hospital before returning to school but still requires further surgery. Nicole’s family remembered her as outgoing and recently having completed a bachelor’s degreeing; they say they no longer feel safe returning to the home and are seeking justice and answers.

If anyone witnessed the shooting or has information about the vehicle or the men seen leaving it, please contact crime stoppers.