Parasha M. Beard, aged 19, was eight months pregnant when she was shot and killed on September 18, 2016, in the South Chicago neighborhood. The incident occurred while Beard was sitting in a parked car with a 26-year-old male, who was also critically injured. An unknown shooter approached and opened fire, striking Beard in the neck. Despite efforts to save her, she died at the hospital shortly afterward. However, doctors managed to deliver her baby, who survived initially but tragically passed away five months later due to complications from the premature birth.
The shooting took place on the 8700 block of South Marquette Avenue, and police have continued their efforts to find the perpetrator. Parasha was remembered as a loving young woman who worked and went to school, striving to support her children. Her family described her survival story as bittersweet—a “blessing” in that her baby initially survived despite the tragic loss of Beard herself. The family planned to care for both her four-year-old daughter and the newborn before the latter's untimely death.
This incident highlighted the persistent gun violence impacting many communities in Chicago and underscored the devastating ripple effects such violence can have on families and communities left to cope with the loss of loved ones.
