By JORDAN OWEN and JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire
Aaren O’Connor was in her car, talking on the phone to her father in California, when she was struck by a stray bullet Friday night in the South Side Heart of Chicago neighborhood. Two days later she was dead.
About 7:30 p.m. Friday, the 25-year-old California native was sitting in her 2009 gray Honda Civic in the 2000 block of West 21st Place after work, talking to her father on her cellphone, according to Chicago Police.
That’s when a fight broke out down the block and shots were fired. One of the bullets went through the car window and struck her in the head.
Her roommate found O’Connor unresponsive in her car and she was taken to Stroger Hospital, where she was pronounced brain dead at 4:48 p.m. Sunday, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Aaren O’Connor | Facebook
Police said O’Connor, who lived on the same block, was not the intended target of the shooting. Area Central detectives are looking for available video footage or information to identify a suspect.
The San Diego native, who moved to Chicago about a year ago to start a new job, worked as a brand manager for the Tomy toy company based in Oak Brook. Co-workers helped set up a GoFundMe page. The Aaren O’Connor Memorial Fund had raised more than $28,000 in two days, with funds to be used for funeral expenses, and to establish after-school programs and a scholarship in her name for at-risk youth.
“On Friday February 5, 2016, our friend and colleague was an innocent victim of the rising gun violence in Chicago,” according to the website.
“Aaren was a beautiful 25-year-old woman who was intelligent, compassionate, caring and hardworking with a deep love for her friends and family. She had a great sense of humor, love for adventure and a take charge personality. By simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time the world lost an amazing person and all of her potential.
“We want to make sure that something positive can come from this senseless tragedy. While trying to solve the gun violence epidemic in Chicago seems like an impossible task, we need to start somewhere. We believe we can teach people to see the world from the perspective of others. We hope we can teach people that violence isn’t the answer and provide them with resources to pursue a different path. We think we can teach people how to come together and become a stronger, more unified community,” according to the site.
“Over time, donations will fund a scholarship program in Aaren’s memory that will serve to bring hope and healing to the youth of Chicago. One initial idea is to fund support for at-risk Chicago youth who want to advance their education by participating in a study abroad program (Aaren loved to travel and met her boyfriend Carlos during her time abroad).
“Our long-term goal is to develop an after school program at a community center in Aaren’s name where Chicago’s youth can come together to receive the caring and resources they need to choose a non-violent path and open their hearts to others.”