Stevens Jeffrey’s life was cut short in a brutal daylight shooting that has shaken Chicago’s Little Village community. The 29-year-old father was gunned down just after 1:10 p.m. Friday while sitting inside his parked vehicle outside a Little Caesars restaurant.
Authorities said his two young children, ages 4 and 6, were seated in the back seat when an unidentified shooter opened fire, striking Jeffrey multiple times in the face and body at close range.Police reports indicate that an unknown vehicle pulled up alongside Jeffrey’s car moments before the attack.
A gunman emerged, unleashed a barrage of shots, and then quickly fled the scene. Witnesses described the chaotic scene as parents and bystanders scrambled for cover. First responders arrived within minutes, but Jeffrey was pronounced dead inside the car. His children, though physically unharmed, were left deeply traumatized, their lives forever altered by what they witnessed.
Officers recovered multiple shell casings scattered across the restaurant parking lot and cordoned off the area as detectives canvassed for surveillance footage and interviewed witnesses. Authorities have not released a motive but confirmed that no arrests have yet been made. The brazen daylight shooting underscores the ongoing gun violence crisis in the city, where drive-up attacks and parking lot ambushes have become disturbingly common.
Family members of Jeffrey described him as a devoted father who worked tirelessly to provide for his children. “He lived for those kids,” one relative shared, heartbroken over the tragedy. Community activists have since called for justice, demanding accountability and urging anyone with information to come forward.For the two children, spared from physical harm but forced to watch their father’s final moments, the scars of Friday’s attack may never fully fade. Police continue to investigate the killing.
