Joanne Perry, 64, was walking to a store when she was struck by gunfire that also killed a 25-year-old man.
CHICAGO — A 64-year-old mother of six who survived cancer was walking to a store when she was killed by gunfire Wednesday in East Garfield Park, her family said, as Chicago police searched for two suspects in the daytime shooting.
Joanne Perry was found unresponsive in the 300 block of South Pulaski Road with a gunshot wound to her chest, police said. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she died. Her relatives told ABC7 Chicago that Perry was an innocent bystander and was not the person the gunmen had approached.
The shooting began about 11:53 a.m. nearby in the 200 block of South Pulaski Road, according to police. A 25-year-old man was standing outside when two unknown men approached him. At least one of them pulled out a gun and fired, police said.
The 25-year-old man was struck multiple times. He was also taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and died from his injuries. His identity had not been publicly released in the available reporting.
Perry’s family described her as a mother of six children and a cancer survivor. They said she had been walking to a store when she was caught in the shooting. Police did not immediately release further details explaining where Perry was when she was struck or whether investigators believe she had any connection to the confrontation.
After the shooting, the suspects fled in a black sedan and traveled south on Pulaski Road, police said. No arrests had been announced as of Thursday, and police had not released a motive.
Alderman Jason Ervin of the 28th Ward called the violence a despicable and cowardly act and expressed condolences to the victims’ families. He said those responsible should be found and held accountable.
The deaths came as police were also investigating a separate drive-by shooting in Humboldt Park that injured three people around the same time. Chicago police had not said whether investigators believed the incidents were related.
Area Four detectives are handling the investigation into Perry’s death and the killing of the 25-year-old man. Authorities had not announced charges or identified suspects by Thursday.
Author note: Last updated August 20, 2026.