It is our painful duty to inform you of the tragic death of a beloved mother who was killed in the early hours of Sunday, January 19, 2026. Chicago Police Department officers from the Area One Detective Division responded to a call of a person down in an alley within the 6400 block of South Drexel Avenue in the Woodlawn neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side.
Around 4:30 a.m., they arrived to find 36-year-old Kiara Jenkins unresponsive, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to her body. Despite the rapid arrival of emergency medical personnel, she was pronounced dead at the scene in the alley behind her residence on the same block.
Kiara Jenkins lived in the 6400 block of South Drexel Avenue, making the location of the shooting deeply personal as it occurred just steps from her home. Family members later shared that she had been preparing to leave for an early church service at Mt. Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, a place where she was a lifelong and devoted member known for her welcoming spirit and readiness to help others.
Described as a loving mother dedicated to her faith, Jenkins was raising five children, ranging in age from 10 years old to a college freshman, and her impending 37th birthday added another layer of sorrow to the sudden loss.
The circumstances suggest the shooting may have occurred as Jenkins stepped out, possibly catching her in a vulnerable moment in the dimly lit alley common to many South Side residential blocks. While exact details of the attack remain under investigation, reports indicate no immediate signs of robbery or forced entry at her nearby home, leaving detectives to explore potential targeted motives or random violence in the area.
Members of Mt. Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church in Woodlawn gathered in grief, remembering Jenkins as a pillar of kindness and support who poured positivity into those around her. Her church family expressed bewilderment at the violence that claimed someone so committed to faith and community, with tributes highlighting her role in making others feel valued and uplifted. The broader Woodlawn neighborhood, familiar with the challenges of gun violence, mourned alongside her relatives as they navigated the immediate aftermath and supported her children.