The first of two fatal shootings in a six-hour span Thursday morning on the Eisenhower Expressway claimed the life of Jonathan Ortiz, an aspiring rapper who performed under the stage name John Doe.
Ortiz and his girlfriend were shot about 5:30 a.m. on outbound I-290 near Laramie Avenue, according to Illinois State Police.
They were found a few minutes before 6 a.m. after leaving the expressway and driving to Flournoy and Lockwood, just north of the interstate. The driver’s side window of their Jeep was shattered.
Both victims taken to Stroger Hospital, police said.
Ortiz, 22, was pronounced dead at the hospital at 6:18 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 3100 block of West Monroe.
The woman, 23, was originally listed in critical condition, police said.
Ortiz was a popular rapper who performed as John Doe. He performed Sept. 9 at the House of Blues and was scheduled to open for Drake and Future on Oct. 5 at the United Center, according to family members.
A GoFundMe page set up to help his family with funeral expenses had raised more than $4,000 in the first 24 hours.