'I Tried To Save Her': 14-Year-Old Son Performed CPR on Mom Who'd Been Fatally Shot

Mar. 15, 2025

Maria Roque.Photo:Maria Haydee Roque/Facebook

Maria Roque, Mother of 2 shot to death outside Chicago home

Maria Haydee Roque/Facebook

Maria Roque, 34, was shot to death on Wednesday morning a little before 6:30a.m., Chicago police said, according toABC 7 Chicago, theSun-Timesand CBS Chicago.

The Chicago Police Department is not identifying the fatal victim per policy, a spokesperson told PEOPLE, but the spokesperson confirmed the time and location of the death.

An “offender fired shots” at the 34-year-old victim who “sustained a gunshot wound to the chest,” the department told PEOPLE.

The victim was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital, the department said, adding that no one is in custody yet, almost a week since the incident.

Her children were present during the shooting and her son tried to revive her, according to CBS Chicago and theSun-Times.

Her daughter is “very numb” and “terrified now, looking for mom, [asking] ‘Where’s mom?’” the victim’s cousin Maritza Galvez-Hernandez told theSun-Times.

Maria Roque.Maria Haydee Roque/Facebook

Maria Roque, Mother of 2 shot to death outside Chicago home

The incident is allegedly domestic-related, police told PEOPLE, and her family has said in published reports they believe this to be the case.

CBS Chicago and theSun Times, citing police, report an ex-boyfriend of Roque’s was issued an arrest warrant the day before the killing for allegedly violating a protective order against him. On Wednesday, the day she was killed, the order was granted an extension, police say, according to the outlets.

Police did not comment on whether the man with the protection order is a suspect, according to theSun-Times.

The gunman allegedly approached Roque as she was placing her daughter inside a car outside her home, and shot her in the shoulder as she tried to escape, the outlet reported, citing a police report.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’sfree True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Maria, who recently celebrated her 34th birthday, was a hardworking mother “dedicated to her health, fitness and career,” according to aGoFundMepage set up for her family.

“Maria had very recently taken brave steps towards escaping a dangerous domestic situation, hoping to bring herself and her children to more safety and peace,” reads the fundraiser. “Her love as mother, selflessness, honor and courage will continued to be celebrated.”

An investigation is ongoing.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

source: people.com