Services are set to begin for fallen Chicago Police Officer Aréanah Preston, who was shot and killed near her Avalon Park home while returning from work during what authorities say was a robbery.
Tuesday will mark the first of two days honoring Preston and her service. A wake is scheduled to take place Tuesday afternoon and evening, followed by a funeral Wednesday.
The visitation will take place from 3-8 p.m. at the Blake-Lamb Funeral Home in Oak Lawn. Then, a funeral will start at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. (NBC Chicago will offer live coverage here)
Preston, 24, was killed earlier this month when police say she was fatally shot during a robbery involving four teens, who have since been charged with first-degree murder.
Preston, who was still in uniform following her shift, was returning home just after 1 a.m. on May 6 in the 8100 block of South Blackstone Avenue when she was gunned down.
Although Preston was not on-duty at the time of the shooting, the department said it ruled Preston's killing as a "line-of-duty death" -- a move that will bring additional benefits to the fallen officer's family.
Police said the four charged had committed several other crimes shortly before the shooting. Each were held without bail during a bond hearing Wednesday afternoon.
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According to officials, Preston had been with the department for three years and worked in the city's West Roseland neighborhood.
She was set to graduate with a Master's Degree from Loyola University on Saturday and participate in the commencement ceremony. Instead, her mother accepted her degree posthumously.
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"The one thing I can say is I know that we gave our all and my baby is in a better place and we’re gonna get through this," her mother Dionne Mhoon said.
