Chicago Police Officer Areanah Preston’s Fatally Shot To Death; 4 Suspects Arrested
Chicago Police Officer Areanah Preston’s Fatally Shot To Death; 4 Suspects Arrested
Chicago Police Officer Areanah Preston’s fatal shooting has led to the arrest of four individuals who are now in custody.
According to sources familiar with the investigation, four individuals have been detained by Chicago police for questioning in relation to the killing of duty officer Areanah Preston over the weekend.
At approximately 7:38 PM on Sunday, a specialized detective squad halted a vehicle on the 7600 block of South Bishop. This location is where the subsequent SWAT confrontation occurred.
At the bus stop, detectives apprehended at least one minor and confiscated two firearms from a sidewalk in close proximity.
The house further down the block was soon surrounded by the Chicago Police SWAT team. Early Monday morning, the confrontation came to an end and the residents of the house were detained. It has been reported that two out of the four detainees are women.
However, it remains unclear whether the police suspect all four individuals to be involved in the murder of Preston.
According to a source, after the detention of the four individuals, investigators executed two search warrants at the bishop’s residence.
A 24-year-old woman named Preston was fatally shot while returning home at 8100 South Blackstone at approximately 1:43 a.m. on Saturday, according to police. After serving as a CPD employee for three years, she has recently completed her shift in Calumet County’s 5th district.
At approximately 1:43 a.m., Chicago police were notified of a shooting at the location where Preston was ultimately discovered, following a ShotSpotter report.
According to a source, a recording of sound from ShotSpotter seems to have captured a rapid sequence of three distinct gunshots, followed by a brief burst of machine gun fire.
At approximately 2 a.m., controllers received an Apple Watch alert at a location where gunfire had been reported. However, officers were not assigned to investigate the situation despite the alert.
Preston was discovered by an officer lying in the yard approximately 15 minutes later. The officer transported her to the University of Chicago Hospital in his patrol car, but unfortunately, she did not survive.
No motive for the crime was given by officials. However, according to a Facebook post on FOP Lodge 7, a union that represents frontline police officers in Chicago, Preston was allegedly killed while attempting to defend herself from gunmen in what appeared to be a robbery.
