UPDATE: A recap of the services can be found at our updated article here.
Several Chicago streets will be closed Monday and traffic is expected to be impacted as Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca, who was shot and killed while in the line of duty earlier this month, is laid to rest at a funeral.
At 9:15 a.m. Monday, a procession was expected to leave Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, at 4727 W. 103rd St. in Oak Lawn and proceed on 103rd Street, Western Avenue and 77th Street. Following the procession, funeral services Monday were scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel, located at 7740 S. Western Ave. in the city's Beverly View neighborhood.
Rolling street closures will take place during the procession, according to an alert from Ald. Matt O'Shea's office.
Following the mass, the procession will travel approximately 16 miles along several streets and the Dan Ryan Expressway before ending at Rosehill Cemetery, 5800 N. Ravenswood Ave., on the city's North Side. Once at the cemetery, a private internment will take place.
Drivers in the following areas should anticipate street closures and traffic impacts caused by the procession:
- Southbound Western to 79th
- Eastbound 79th St. to the Dan Ryan Expressway
- Northbound Dan Ryan Expressway to the Stevenson Expressway
- Eastbound Stevenson Expressway to Northbound Lake Shore Drive
- Northbound Lake Shore Drive to Westbound on Bryn Mawr
- Westbound Bryn Mawr to Ravenswood Rosehill Cemetery
Last week, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered all Illinois flags to fly at half-staff through Monday in honor and remembrance of Huesca. Sunday, hundreds of fellow law enforcement officers and loved ones said goodbye and shared their respects at a public visitation.
Local
In a Monday morning tweet, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said Huesca's family indicated Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was "unwelcome" at the officer's funeral. Monday morning, Johnson announced he would not be attending the funeral.
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"We continue to send our deepest condolences to the family and colleagues of Officer Luis Huesca as they heal from the loss of their beloved son, nephew, brother and friend," Johnson said in a statement. "As mayor, I vow to continue supporting our police and first responders, uniting our city and remaining committed to working with everyone towards building a better, stronger, safer Chicago. My heart is with the Huesca family today. God bless them and God bless the City of Chicago."
Chicago cop Luis Huesca killed: What we know
Luis Huesca, 30, was found gunned down in the early morning hours of April 21, in the 3100 block of West 56th Street in Chicago's Gage Park neighborhood. According to officials, he had been returning home from a shift when he was shot and killed.
Officers found Huesca near his home, reporting that he had been shot several times, police said. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to a police report, Huesca suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the face, and was in uniform when he was killed. His grey Toyota SUV was taken, but was later recovered, the report said. The police report also stated that officers were investigating whether Huesca’s SUV was taken as part of a carjacking.
“The officer was wearing his uniform, (but) he had something covering it up,” Supt. Larry Snelling said during a recent press conference. “We’re still at preliminary stages right now.”
“What we do know is that the officer’s vehicle was taken, but to get to the total motive of what happened we need more information and the detective division is working on that," Snelling said.
Huesca, a six-year veteran of the force, was just two days shy of his 31st birthday when he was shot, police said. He is the eighth police officer to be fatally shot in Illinois since 2020 and the fourth Chicago Police officer killed by gunfire since 2021.
Police still searching for suspect
Authorities late Friday released new photos of the suspect who allegedly shot and killed Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca as they pleaded for anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward.
In a community alert at 10:51 p.m., Chicago police said an arrest warrant had been issued for Xavier Tate Jr., 22, who was wanted in connection with Huesca's murder.
Earlier on Friday, a judge signed charging documents and the warrant for Tate, according to filings published with the Circuit Court of Cook County.
According to court records, the 22-year-old used a 40-caliber handgun to fatally shoot Huesca, who was found with multiple gunshot wounds early Sunday morning near his Gage Park home. Police discovered the fellow officer, who had been shot in the face, after responding to a ShotSpotter alert at 2:53 a.m. near West 56th Street and South Kedzie Avenue, according to a police report.
Court records show Tate, the suspect, was due in court last week on an unrelated matter but did not appear.
A $100,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the suspect's arrest and conviction.
Monday's funeral mass and ensuing procession will be streamed live on NBC 5, live on the NBC Chicago News streaming channel on your preferred streaming device and here at the top of the page.
