Chicago woman dies days after shooting that killed boyfriend

CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago woman has died days after she was dragged from a car and shot during an attack captured on video that killed her boyfriend and drew more attention to the city’s particularly violent year.

Yasmin Perez, 23, died Tuesday, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. Her death came three days after Gyovanny Arzuaga, 24, was shot in the head and killed following a Puerto Rican Day parade in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood.

The couple, who had two children, were attacked after what police called a minor traffic crash.

“They left their babies,” Arzuaga’s aunt, Vickie Ponciano, said Tuesday as she wept.

Police said the couple was ambushed by several men in the middle of a street after the crash. The deadly attack was captured on a video that was shared widely online, drawing more national attention following violence that included a recent mass shooting that killed five people in Chicago.

In an attempt to stem a rising national tide of violent crime, President Joe Biden is announcing new efforts Wednesday that focus in part on addressing gun violence. The Justice Department is also launching strike forces in cities including Chicago to help take down illegal gun traffickers.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called the shootings of Perez and Arzuaga “horrific” on Monday and vowed that authorities would track down those involved.

Video of the shooting showed Perez being dragged by several people from a dark SUV with a Puerto Rican flag sticking out of a window. Arzuaga, who was seen on the ground nearly covering her, was then shot by a gunman in a white tank top.

Arzuaga and Perez were among eight people fatally shot in Chicago from 6 p.m. Friday to late Sunday night. Those killed were among more than 50 shooting victims during that period, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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