Areanah Preston: Hero Chicago cop, 24, shot and killed as she fought off FIVE armed robbers on her front lawn, suspects arrested
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Chicago police officer, Areanah Preston, 24, was shot dead on her front lawn as she was returning home from work in Avalon Park. The incident occurred around 1.42 am on Saturday, May 6, and she was found dead on 81st Street and Blackstone Avenue. The police department spokesperson confirmed that she suffered multiple gunshot wounds and her death is being investigated as a killing in the line of duty.
Four individuals, consisting of two males and two females, have been apprehended in connection with the deadly shooting. They were taken into custody following a SWAT standoff on Sunday night, May 7. It is believed that some or all of the suspects are minors. A fifth suspect, a 19-year-old male, was taken into custody in another location, a source told Fox News Digital. Authorities have not released their identities yet.
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'Preston was killed while trying to defend herself'
Interim Police Supt. Eric Carter said, "The officer picked her up, put her in the back of his car, and immediately brought her to U of C hospital where she succumbed to her injuries early this morning." Officer Areanah Preston had served the Chicago Police Department for three years before she was fatally shot. According to a statement posted by the Fraternal Order of Police, it is believed that she was killed while trying to protect herself from people attempting to rob her. They wrote, "Though off-duty, Officer Areanah Preston was killed while trying to defend herself from armed individuals in an apparent robbery, she died taking police action." The exact circumstances surrounding Preston's death have not been officially confirmed by police authorities.
'She was trying to make a change'
Preston's family and friends have paid tribute to the officer. Her father, Allen, told the Chicago Sun-Times, "She was trying to make a change on this Earth." He described his daughter as a "beautiful soul" who "always saw the best in people." "This was my baby. Everything I did was for her,'' he said. "I don´t know what to do, right now. I´ll be dealing with this for the rest of my life."
'She was a reformer'
Preston had a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and law enforcement administration from Illinois State University. Professor Charles Bell told the Sun-Times that she was "very passionate about making a difference and showing young people that policing is a profession that can make a difference in the community." "She was very aware of a lot of the problems that in her opinion had manifested in the Chicago community," Bell added. "She was a reformer. She saw a problem and she was dedicated to making a difference."