Ruben Olivares, a 36-year-old community activist and organizer from Chicago, Illinois, was fatally shot on January 18, 2023. The incident occurred in the 3200 block of West Cortez Street in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, where Olivares resided. He had just returned home from his second job at La Canasta Bakery, one of his mother’s bakeries, and was getting something from his car when a drive-by shooter pulled up and fired shots at him around 6:45 p.m..
Olivares' wife, who had arrived home with their two children, ages 7 and 4, just a few minutes earlier, heard the shots and immediately called her husband to warn him. Despite her warning, Olivares was hit by a gunshot wound in his leg, which struck a major artery. He managed to call for an ambulance and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. However, he succumbed to his injuries five days later.
Ruben Olivares was a dedicated community figure, having worked at the Northwest Center, a social services organization based in Belmont Cragin, for about three years. He started as a volunteer in early 2020 and later became the Health Equity program manager, focusing on community outreach around COVID-19 vaccinations, food access, and public safety. Olivares was known for his selflessness and his ability to connect with residents, significantly boosting attendance at vaccination clinics and advocating for public safety in his community.
The community rallied around Olivares' family following his death, launching a GoFundMe campaign that raised over $13,000 to support his wife and children with mortgage payments and living expenses, as Olivares was the family's sole provider.
On February 17, 2023, Jonathan Soto, a 19-year-old man, was charged with murder in connection with Olivares' death. Soto is accused of being the perpetrator of the drive-by shooting that took Olivares' life.
Olivares' death occurred just days before his family was set to move into a new home they had purchased on the Northwest Side of Chicago, and it happened on his wife's birthday and one day before his 37th birthday. The incident has left a profound impact on his family, friends, and the community he served.
