Jeanette Laureano, a 24-year-old woman from Chicago, IL, was tragically shot and killed on March 18, 2016. Jeanette, who was of Hispanic descent, was driving herself and her cousin into Chicago from the suburbs. Both were members of the Spanish Cobra street gang. After arriving in Chicago, they picked up friends and drove around. At approximately 5:52 p.m., they pulled up to a corner store in the 2700 block of North Kilbourn Avenue.
Jeanette parked and stayed in the van while her cousin and others got out and walked toward the store. As they were walking, a car drove by, and someone inside yelled out gang slogans. Jeanette’s cousin responded with gang slogans and made gang signs to the people in the car.
A short time later, as Jeanette’s cousin and the others stood on the sidewalk by the door of the store, Emmanuel Raya, a 32-year-old member of the Maniac Latin Disciple gang, got out of a black Mercedes holding a gun. He walked up to where Jeanette was parked and fired several rounds at close range at Jeanette, who was seated in the front seat of the van. After the shooting, Raya ran back to the Mercedes, got into the back seat, and the car drove off. Jeanette was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Hospital at 6:36 p.m.
A witness was able to jot down a portion of the license plate number, and police were able to find out that the car was registered to Raya’s cousin. A surveillance camera posted outside the store recorded video of the shooting. Emmanuel Raya was charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Jeanette Laureano. He was ordered held without bail by Judge Peggy Chiampas at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. Raya's trial revealed that the shooting was in tribute to a fellow Maniac Latin Disciple who had been killed by Spanish Cobras, a rival gang with whom Jeanette associated. Despite the prejudicial nature of some evidence presented, including Raya's gang tattoos, the court affirmed his conviction.
