A Chicago teacher became the victim of gang crossfire Thursday evening as she sat inside a south side real estate office, according to police.
Betty Howard, an instructor at Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy, was inside the building when a bullet came through the wall and struck her in the head. She later died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
“This is an indescribably difficult day,” D’Andre Weaver, the school’s principal, said in a statement. “Her love for all children, but particularly children with diverse learning needs, was second to none.”
A 58-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman suffered graze wounds due to the gunfire from a gang dispute outside. They were treated at the scene and left to go on their way.
Howard’s brother, a Chicago police officer, said he’s feeling the personal effects of the city’s issue with gun violence.
“I feel the pain. I know how other people feel now,” said Orlando Long. “We just go to the scene and do what we have to do as a police officer, but now it’s hitting home and it’s such a terrible situation.”
Photo courtesy of DNAinfo Chicago/Handout photo/BLDD Architects
Police have yet to track down the suspect involved in Thursday’s shooting, but community members have already collected $2,000 to offer a reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Howard’s killer.