*Chicago Police have detained five people linked to the fatal shooting of CPD officer Areanah Preston.
The suspects are charged with armed robbery and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. One male linked to the case has been identified and remains at large, CBS 2 reports.
Preston, 24, was ambushed after arriving home from work and shot multiple times while exchanging gunfire with two suspects. According to the police, the armed individuals tried to rob her on her front lawn and they made off with her service weapon.
A string of robberies that occurred before the shooting are also linked to the shooting suspects, CBS 2 reports.
Police Officer Aréanah M. Preston
End of Watch: May 6, 2023We join Officer Preston’s family and loved ones in mourning the loss of our fallen hero. Our hearts are heavy, but through our grief, we will carry on her legacy of service to Chicago and its people. pic.twitter.com/cZOTrGKZzS
— Chicago Police (@Chicago_Police) May 8, 2023
Aspiring rapper Lil Munchie, 19, is among those charged in the case. He and a female suspect were arrested after getting into an Uber on Sunday night. Video taken by the Uber driver shows the moment they were apprehended. According to police, a semi-automatic 9mm pistol was recovered at the scene. It is unclear if this was the weapon used to kill Preston.
The Uber driver was initially placed in handcuffs but released after police sorted out the scene.
“I just started screaming: ‘I’m just an Uber driver! I don’t know what’s going on!” said the driver, who did not want to be identified, CBS 2 reports. “All I saw like a minute after that was lights and police personnel jumping down from their cars, surrounding my car from the back with their guns pointed at my vehicle.”
Lil Munchie’s neighbor referred to him as a “typical thug” who has been “in and out of jail.”
“I’m not surprised at all,” the neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Chicago Sun-Times, SandraRose.com reports.
“I hope he didn’t kill that lady, but I’m glad he’s off the streets,” he added.
The CPD is reportedly catching heat for taking over 30 minutes to respond to gunfire near Officer Preston’s home. There are critics who say that if the city’s gunshot surveillance system, ShotSpotter, had been used immediately, her life could have been saved.
Preston worked for the Chicago Police Department for three years and studied criminology at Loyola University Chicago. She was set to graduate on May 13.
As CBS 2 reports, the Fraternal Order of Police posted a reaction to Preston’s killing on its Facebook page, saying she was “killed while trying to defend herself from armed individuals in an apparent robbery [and] she died taking police action.”
Investigators are waiting for ballistic tests on guns recovered from the suspects before charging anyone with the death of Officer Preston.
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