Chicago mom shot to death in Edgewater

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) - It could be called the murder where you'd least expect it.

A 21-year-old mother was shot in the head in Edgewater early Monday morning, and the shooting has tragically left Karina Soria's 5-year-old son without a mom.

The fatal shooting happened in the 20th police district, where statistics show it was the first murder of the year and only the third since 2012.

“I was trying to fall asleep and it was around quarter to one and I heard like loud shots,” said Jennifer Wells, who lives right next door to where the shooting happened.

Dawn Valenti, a Crisis Responder with Chicago Survivors, estimates this is the 21st family she has had to console this year after a loved one was murdered.

“To have to watch somebody who just learned that their loved one was murdered, you know, and those god awful screams that come from a child this small, to this big, to an adult, those are god awful screams,” Valenti said.

It comes as police released their latest crimes statistics showing that the city’s murder rate for April was only up three percent from 2015. Police were touting this as progress after murders were up 75 percent in January, 126 percent in February, and 29 percent in March.

“It's very encouraging. We started off the year we were behind the eight ball. But we're only up one homicide for the past month. So that's very encouraging. We're not claiming victory of course, but it is some progress,” said Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson.

In Soria’s case, she was driving near the intersection of Ridge and Peterson around 12:55 a.m. Monday when a car pulled alongside and someone started shooting. Her male passenger, a documented gang member, told police it was a road rage incident. But detectives are exploring the possibility that he was the intended target, or Soria was killed to send a message to him.

Regardless, it has people uncomfortable to say the least.

“But this is Chicago and I think crime can happen anywhere, I don't care where you live, I don't care if you live in the burbs, Northside, Southside, East, West, I think it can happen anywhere,” Wells said.

Police have not made any arrests as of Monday night.