Rosa Hernandez Rivera dies after October shooting
The 32-year-old mother of five passed away at home on Thursday morning, two weeks after being struck in the head during a road rage incident in Brighton Park.
By Rafael Delgado ·
Rosa Hernandez Rivera died Thursday morning at her home. She was 32 years old. Her death concludes a two-week wait for her family following a head wound sustained in an apparent road rage shooting.
The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 22 near West 47th Street and South Western Avenue in the Brighton Park neighborhood. Hernandez Rivera was driving a minivan with her boyfriend and two of her five children when an unidentified driver pulled alongside their vehicle. That driver opened fire, striking Hernandez Rivera in the head.
Business surveillance video from the block captured the event. 15th Ward Alderman Raymond Lopez stated the driver was enraged by an occurrence that happened several blocks earlier. Police are now investigating the case as a homicide. No suspect was in custody as of Thursday night.
Sonia Hernandez, the victim's sister, spoke with tears during an interview. "It's a really hard time for us," she said. "I had a chance to say bye yesterday and today in the morning." Hernandez described her sister as a loving and hopeful person who worked for her children.
The shooting left the five children traumatized, particularly the two who were inside the car at the time. Sonia Hernandez noted that the family is still in shock. "They’re very traumatized about the situation. The same as all the family," she said. "We were hoping for a miracle, but unfortunately. Not the case this time."
Sonia Hernandez urged the responsible party to turn themselves in. "This time was my sister, the next time they could get somebody else," she said. Cook County Crime Stoppers has offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
