Two Teens Shot, Killed in Separate Incidents

Ashley Hardmon, Damani Henard shot less than one mile apart

Two teens were shot and killed in separate incidents just blocks from one another on Tuesday night. It wasn't immediately known if the shootings were related.

The first victim was 19-year-old Ashley Hardmon, who was shot in head while walking in the 4800 block of West Potomac Avenue, in Chicago's North Austin Neighborhood.

"She wasn't in uncharted territory. She wasn't no where she wasn't supposed to be," the teen's mother, Tiffany Hardmon, said through tears on Wednesday.

Ashley Hardmon was just a month away from graduating as a pharmacy technician and was home on a break from school, preparing to go on vacation with her family, when she was killed.

"Instead of planning a cookout with my family and friends, I'll be planning my daughter's funeral," her mother sobbed.

Hours after that shooting, and less than a mile away, 14-year-old Damani Henard was hit by bullets in the 5000 block of West North Avenue as he rode his bike home to Oak Park. He'd spent the evening playing video games at a friend's house.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Damani recently graduated from elementary school and hoped to play football for Oak Park-River Forest High School. His family moved to Oak Park about a year ago.

Police officials said they were investigating whether the shootings involved gangs. No descriptions of suspects were released in either case.

Community activist Andrew Holmes told NBC Chicago that a $2,000 reward was being offered in both cases for any information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

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