Woman dies two weeks after head wound from Brighton Park shooting

Rosa Hernandez Rivera died Thursday morning from a head wound sustained two weeks earlier in an apparent road rage shooting in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood. The 32-year-old mother of five had been hospitalized since the incident on Oct. 22, when an unidentified driver opened fire on her vehicle.

Police are investigating the case as a homicide, but no suspect had been arrested as of Thursday night. Cook County Crime Stoppers announced a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible.

The shooting occurred around 9:30 a.m. near West 47th Street and South Western Avenue. Hernandez Rivera was driving a minivan with her boyfriend and two of her youngest children. An unidentified driver pulled up beside her vehicle and fired. Surveillance video from nearby businesses shows the minivan being followed closely by the shooter’s car. 15th Ward Alderman Raymond Lopez stated the shooter appeared enraged by an event that happened several blocks prior.

Hernandez Rivera’s sister, Sonia Hernandez, said the family had been praying for a miracle during the two weeks her sister was hospitalized. "I had a chance to say bye yesterday and today in the morning," Hernandez said on Thursday. She described her sister as a loving and hopeful woman who worked hard for her children.

The five children were left in a state of shock following the shooting. Hernandez said the family is struggling to process the loss. "They’re very traumatized about the situation. The same as all the family. We’re still in shock. We can’t believe it," Hernandez said. She noted that the children are dealing with the trauma in different ways.

The family expressed a desire for the suspect to come forward. "The responsible person should turn themself in. This time was my sister, the next time they could get somebody else," Hernandez said. She emphasized that the family had hoped for a better outcome, but the death marked the end of that hope.