Detectives have announced no arrest or motive in the killing of 22-year-old Abbygail Somoza as family and neighbors seek answers.
CHICAGO, Ill. — Detectives investigating the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Abbygail Somoza in Little Village have not announced an arrest or identified a suspect, leaving key questions unanswered days after she was struck while outside with her mother.
The shooting was reported about 8:43 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, in the 2800 block of West 23rd Street. Chicago police said Somoza was standing outside when she heard a loud noise and then felt pain. She suffered a gunshot wound near her right armpit and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, where she later died.
A police report obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times provided additional detail about the moments before the shooting. Somoza and her mother had returned from shopping for Halloween supplies when shots were fired from about a block away, according to the report. Her mother was not injured. The Cook County medical examiner’s office later determined that Somoza died from a gunshot wound to the torso and ruled her death a homicide.
Authorities have not publicly said who was being targeted, whether Somoza was deliberately targeted or how many people may have fired weapons. Somoza’s relatives have said they believe she was an unintended victim. Her mother told a local television station that someone began shooting down the block near 23rd Street and California Avenue. Police have not publicly confirmed the family’s assessment that the gunfire was random.
The lack of an announced suspect has heightened concern among some residents near the shooting scene. ABC7 Chicago reported that neighbors said officers had been called to the area hours earlier because of a disturbance involving people the residents described as gang members. The neighbors said officers had left before the group returned. Police have not said whether the earlier activity was connected to Somoza’s killing, and no such connection has been established publicly.
Some neighbors said they heard numerous shots around the time of the shooting, while others described coming outside afterward and helping Somoza’s mother. Several people who spoke with local news organizations declined to show their faces because they feared retaliation. Their accounts provide a picture of the confusion surrounding the shooting but do not establish who fired the gunfire or why.
Investigators have released few public details beyond the initial circumstances. Police have not said whether surveillance video has been recovered, whether a vehicle was involved or whether detectives have identified a person of interest. Authorities also have not announced the recovery of a weapon. Those details remain unknown rather than confirmed parts of the investigation.
While detectives work to determine what happened, Somoza’s family has said she had no connection to dangerous activity. Relatives described her as a young woman who was working at a fast-food restaurant while saving money for cosmetology school. She wanted to pursue work doing nails and makeup, according to family members. Friends and neighbors have since left flowers, candles and other items at a memorial outside the home.
The investigation also comes as Somoza’s relatives deal with funeral and medical expenses and the loss of a daughter who had been planning her next steps. Her family has publicly appealed for accountability, but police have not indicated that charges are imminent. No publicly available information establishes a motive or identifies the person responsible.
Area Four detectives remain in charge of the homicide investigation. As of Thursday, Chicago police had not announced an arrest, named a suspect or determined publicly whether the shooting was targeted or random. The unanswered questions about the source and intended direction of the gunfire remain central to the case.
Author note: Last updated October 15, 2026.