Salvador Herrera, a 42-year-old Hispanic man from Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, was a beloved son, brother, and friend known for his selfless dedication to his family. After his father died in a work accident, a 14-year-old Salvador stepped into the role of provider, taking a summer job at the Butterfield Country Club in Oak Brook. He remained there for 28 years, eventually becoming a popular bartender.
Described by his sister as a hero and role model, he helped pay for his sisters’ college educations and bought a home where he cared for their mother. He was a hardworking and happy person who, according to friends, loved his mother, his sisters, and his friends, in that order.
In the early morning hours of October 15, 2023, Herrera was driving home from his shift at the country club. At around 2:50 a.m., he turned onto the 700 block of South Loomis Street in the University Village neighborhood and encountered a group of men breaking into a parked Hyundai. While his family believes he tried to intervene to stop the crime, a cousin suggested that Herrera, who was shy and had poor vision, was likely just driving slowly past the scene when the men opened fire on his car. He was struck by a bullet while still behind the wheel.
Chicago police officers on patrol found Herrera slumped in his vehicle, its engine smoking. They discovered he had a gunshot wound to his upper back. First responders performed CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:53 a.m. Investigators found five bullet holes in the hood and headlight of Herrera’s car and recovered eight 9 mm shell casings from the street.
Witnesses told police they heard gunshots and saw four male suspects running from the area. In the weeks that followed, Herrera’s family grew frustrated with the lack of progress in the investigation. They launched a “Justice for Sal” campaign to raise awareness, handing out flyers and organizing vigils and marches. “I’m enraged and want justice,” his sister Marcelina Herrera said. “I don’t want my brother to be just another news story.”
As of November 2023, Salvador Herrera’s murder remains unsolved, and no arrests have been made. His family continues to hold events to honor his memory and urge anyone with information or video footage of the incident to contact the Chicago Police Department.
