Relatives said Krystal Cruz was picking up her brother when shots were fired.
CHICAGO, Ill. — A family is mourning Krystal Cruz, a 26-year-old Chicago mother who was killed May 5 during a school pickup in the city’s Back of the Yards neighborhood, relatives said.
Cruz had gone to Peace and Education Coalition High School to pick up her 16-year-old brother and one of his friends when a motorcycle came alongside the vehicle and gunfire followed, her grandmother, Stella Hernandez, said. Cruz was killed. The two teens were wounded and hospitalized, but relatives said both are expected to survive.
The death has shaken a family now caring for Cruz’s four daughters, who range in age from 6 to 10. Hernandez said Cruz was known for helping others and for centering her life on her children. “Crystal was a happy person,” Hernandez said. “She was always helping anybody and everybody.” Family members said the children were making Mother’s Day decorations when relatives were trying to explain that their mother was gone.
Relatives said the shooting happened during what should have been a routine pickup. They said two people opened fire from the motorcycle, but authorities have not publicly released suspect names or announced charges. The family is asking for anyone who saw the shooting or has nearby video to share it with investigators.
Hernandez said the hardest moments have come when the children ask simple questions about their mother. She said the youngest girls do not yet understand the finality of the loss. The family is now preparing for memorial services while also trying to support the children through the first days after the killing.
Services for Cruz were set for Wednesday and Thursday, according to relatives. No arrests had been publicly reported as the family continued asking for information tied to the motorcycle, the shooters and any video from the area near the school.
Author note: Last updated May 12, 2026.