Steef Giovanni-Corniel, a 21-year-old male, was fatally shot in River Grove, Illinois, on December 15, 2019. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning at an apartment building on Elm Street. According to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, Steef Giovanni-Corniel died from multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at Loyola University Medical Center. The case was ruled a homicide.
The events leading up to the shooting were marked by a series of violent incidents between Steef Giovanni-Corniel and his girlfriend. On the evening of December 14, 2019, the couple had dinner at a Chicago restaurant. Following the meal, they returned to the girlfriend’s apartment in River Grove, where a violent altercation ensued. According to police reports, Steef Giovanni-Corniel allegedly hit and slapped his girlfriend while she was driving, choked her in the apartment, and threatened to kill her and her mother. The girlfriend, in her statement to the police, claimed that she shot Steef Giovanni-Corniel in self-defense to stop him from hitting her.
The River Grove police detained Steef Giovanni-Corniel’s girlfriend from December 14 to 16, 2019, expecting that she would be charged with murder. However, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office declined to charge her, citing insufficient evidence. The case has divided law enforcement authorities, with River Grove police Chief Mike Konwinski calling it “murder” and the State’s Attorney’s Office maintaining that there isn’t enough evidence to charge her with a crime. Steef Giovanni-Corniel’s family believes that the girlfriend should be charged and that a jury should decide her fate.
Steef Giovanni-Corniel had a history of domestic violence incidents with his girlfriend. Since July 2019, when he was released from prison after serving almost four years for aggravated assault, neighbors had called the police at least twice after hearing screaming and fighting in the couple’s apartment. However, the girlfriend never wanted to pursue the matter, so charges were not filed.
The investigation into Steef Giovanni-Corniel’s death is ongoing, with the case being continued pending further investigation at the request of the State’s Attorney’s Office.
