Postal worker killed in I-57 shooting near Country Club Hills on her way to work

CHICAGO (SUN TIMES MEDIA WIRE) - A U.S. Postal Service employee was shot to death on her way to work Monday night on Interstate 57 near Country Club Hills.

Officers were called just after 10 p.m. for reports of what appeared to be a single-vehicle crash on northbound I-57 at Cicero Avenue, according to Illinois State Police.

They arrived to find the 55-year-old woman dead from an apparent gunshot wound in the driver’s seat of the car, state police said. Further investigation revealed she was a postal worker on her way to work and was the only person in the vehicle.

An autopsy Tuesday found she died of multiple gunshot wounds to the head, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Her death was ruled a homicide.

The U.S. Postal Service identified her as Tamara Clayton-Shelton, a mail handler at the Chicago International Military Service Center. She worked for the postal service since 1993.

“The Postal Service is deeply saddened on hearing of this tragedy and share our thoughts and prayers with the family,” USPS spokesman Tim Norman said in a statement.

Northbound traffic was rerouted off the expressway at 167th Street for several hours while police investigated, but all lanes were reopened by 1:32 a.m. Three shell casings were recovered from the ground.

The circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation Tuesday, state police said. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is assisting with the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to call the ISP at (847) 294-4400.

Earlier that day, three people, including a 15-year-old, were wounded in a shooting on I-57 near Calumet Park.