Gloria Hentz, a 49-year-old woman from Galena, Illinois, was tragically shot and killed on June 22, 2019, while visiting family in Chicago's Cottage Grove neighborhood. Gloria, who was African American, was in town to commemorate the third anniversary of her daughter's death and planned to visit the cemetery where her daughter was buried. The incident occurred around 2 a.m. while Gloria was standing on her sister's front porch at 97th Street and Dobson Avenue.
A single gunshot struck her temple, causing her to fall backward onto the ground. Initially, her family thought she had passed out due to a recent heart attack, but they soon realized the sound they heard was a gunshot.
Gloria was rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she later died. The Chicago police conducted an investigation, canvassing the neighborhood for hours, but no shell casing was recovered, and there were no witnesses to the shooting. Gloria's sister, Tesha Hentz, believed the shot came from across the street, but there was no clear motive or reason for Gloria to have been targeted, as no one in the quiet neighborhood knew her or her children.
The Cook County medical examiner's office conducted an autopsy and ruled Gloria's death a homicide. Despite the efforts of the Area South detectives, no arrests have been made, and the case remains unsolved. Gloria Hentz's family continues to seek justice for her senseless death, hoping that the perpetrator will eventually be found and held accountable.
