Attempted Home Invasion That Left Woman Dead Was Likely ‘Targeted Attack': Alderman

According to Ald. Rossana Rodriquez Sanchez, authorities believe the incident may have been targeted, but it remains unclear who exactly was the target

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An attempted home invasion that left a 27-year-old woman fatally shot in the Ravenswood Manor neighborhood on Chicago's North Side Monday evening may have been a targeted attack, the area's alderman said.

According to Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, authorities believe the incident may have been targeted, but it remains unclear who exactly was the target.

“It does not look like a random home invasion. It looks like a targeted attack.They knew who they were coming for," Rodriguez Sanchez said.

The woman and a friend were inside the 2nd-floor unit around 9:30 p.m. in the 4400 block of North Francisco Avenue when police say someone knocked on the front door.

The male friend went to answer the door and saw a man wearing all black and a ski mask attempting to force his way into the apartment, police said.

As the man and woman inside the apartment attempted to close the door, the suspect opened fire, striking the woman in the chest, authorities said.

The woman was identified as Stephanie Brooks, of the city's North Austin neighborhood, Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Brooks, who was a mother of three, was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported, according to police.

A neighbor told NBC 5 he heard the commotion in the building.

“I’m like, 'I hope whatever is going on upstairs, everyone is OK,'" said Pastor Marvin Nurse Jr. "Then I heard a pop. I knew it was a gunshot.”

Chicago police believe the man inside the apartment with Brooks may have been involved in a rival gang shooting earlier this month that injured a Chicago firefighter who was working when he was caught in the crossfire.

No one was in custody as of Tuesday morning and Area North detectives are investigating.

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