A mother was killed in a brazen daylight ambush in Chicago on Wednesday afternoon. The shooting occurred at approximately 1:25 p.m. on February 4, 2026, on the 7900 block of South May Street in the city’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood. The location is near the intersection with 79th Street, just steps from the historic St. Sabina Church.
According to police and witnesses, at least three gunmen exited a red Alfa Romeo sedan and approached a parked white Chevrolet sedan. Without warning, they opened fire, unleashing a barrage of more than 50 rounds into the vehicle. Evidence markers at the scene covered the ground, indicating the scale and ferocity of the attack.
Inside the white sedan was 26-year-old Gabryel Ayres, known as Gabby, who was fatally shot multiple times. A 27-year-old male passenger was also shot twice but was conscious when help arrived. The driver of the car, believed to be Ayres, attempted to flee the ambush but lost control, crashing into a brown GMC van that was on the street.
A responding Chicago police officer discovered an infant girl, less than a year old, secured in a car seat in the back. In what community members called a miracle, the baby was found physically unharmed amidst the shattered glass and dozens of bullet holes that riddled the car. The male passenger was transported to Christ Medical Center and was listed in good condition, while Ayres was rushed to Little Company of Mary Hospital. Despite medical efforts, she was pronounced dead.
The child’s godfather, Pastor Kirk Bell, arrived at the scene and expressed his grief and outrage. He condemned the shooters as having no value for life, emphasizing the presence of the infant in the car. As of Thursday, February 5, no arrests had been made in the case. The Chicago Police Department’s Area Two detectives are actively investigating, seeking surveillance footage of the distinctive red Alfa Romeo and appealing for public tips.
Gabryel Ayres was remembered as a devoted mother and a talented hairstylist whose world revolved around her child. Her obituary noted that her baby’s survival stands as both a miracle and a painful testament to a mother’s final moments of courage and devotion. The shooting has ignited fresh outrage in the community over persistent gun violence.