Tracy Czaczkowski, a 44-year-old woman from Buffalo Grove, Illinois, tragically lost her life on May 1, 2016, after being shot in the neck during a drive-by shooting on Interstate 90/94 in Sauk County, Wisconsin. Tracy and her family were returning home from a weekend trip to the Wisconsin Dells when the incident occurred. Her husband was driving, and their two young children were in the back seat when another motorist, Zachary Hays, opened fire on their vehicle.
Tracy was pronounced dead two days later at a hospital in Madison, Wisconsin.
The shooter, Zachary Hays, was a 20-year-old man who had been acting erratically and paranoid in the days leading up to the shooting. On the day of the incident, Hays had already killed another man, Gabriel Sanchez, in a Milwaukee suburb before fleeing the area with his two brothers. Hays was driving a Chevrolet Blazer and fired three shots at the Czaczkowski family's car, hitting Tracy once in the neck. Authorities later apprehended Hays after deploying a spike strip and shooting him when he displayed his gun.
Hays was charged with first-degree intentional homicide for Tracy's death. His brother, Jeremy Hays, who was a passenger in the vehicle, informed investigators that Zachary had been acting extremely paranoid and had made threats to kill him and their other brother if they tried to leave him. Jeremy also mentioned that Zachary had been pointing a. 45 caliber pistol at other cars while driving erratically on the highway.
The tragic event left Tracy's family and community in shock and mourning. Tracy was remembered as a loving wife, mother, and daughter. Her husband, Greg, who worked for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and their two children received an outpouring of support from friends, family, and the community. A GoFundMe campaign was set up to support the children's future needs.
The case against Zachary Hays proceeded with charges of first-degree intentional homicide, and his actions on that fateful day were thoroughly investigated by law enforcement. The incident highlighted the random and senseless nature of the violence that claimed Tracy's life, leaving a lasting impact on her family and the community.
