Krystal Cruz, 26, leaves behind four daughters, relatives said.
CHICAGO, Ill. — A 26-year-old mother of four was shot and killed May 5 while picking up her teenage brother from a school in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood, her family said.
Krystal Cruz had gone to Peace and Education Coalition High School to pick up her 16-year-old brother and one of his friends when gunfire broke out, relatives said. Her brother and the friend were also shot and taken to hospitals, but both are expected to survive. Cruz died from her injuries, leaving four daughters between 6 and 10 years old.
Stella Hernandez, Cruz’s grandmother, said a motorcycle pulled next to the vehicle before two people opened fire. Hernandez described the pickup as part of an ordinary family routine that turned deadly within moments. “Crystal was a happy person. She was always helping anybody and everybody,” Hernandez said. Relatives said the shooting has left the family searching for answers and asking anyone with information or video from the area to come forward.
The shooting happened near a school in a neighborhood where families were moving through the afternoon pickup period. Family members said Cruz was not alone in the vehicle and was trying to help her brother and his friend get home safely. Police have not publicly announced arrests in the case. Relatives have not said whether investigators have identified the people on the motorcycle.
Cruz’s death has also left her children facing a loss they are too young to fully understand, Hernandez said. The girls had been preparing for Mother’s Day when the family had to explain that their mother would not return. Hernandez said one of the younger children believed Cruz was sleeping, a moment she said broke the family’s heart.
Memorial services for Cruz were scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, relatives said. The family remained focused on funeral plans, caring for the four girls and gathering any information that could help investigators determine who fired the shots.
Author note: Last updated May 12, 2026.