Global Courant 2023-05-17 19:07:18
Police Officer Aranah Preston will be buried Wednesday morning at a church on Chicago’s south side.
Preston, 24, had only been on the force for three years when she was shot by four teenagers a week ago during a crime spree in violence-ravaged Windy City. All four have been charged with first-degree murder and are being held without bail.
Funeral services begin Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Trinity United Church of Christ, 400 W. 95th St.
Visit for Officer Preston was held Tuesday at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home. There will be a procession from the funeral home prior to the memorial service.
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Chicago police have released the official portrait of murdered Officer Aranah Preston, 24, who was fatally shot outside her home. (Chicago Police Department)
According to police, Preston was shot dead outside her South Side home on May 6 after returning from a night shift. She was the sixth and final victim of a series of robberies that began because one of the suspects “needed money for a barbecue,” prosecutors said in court last week.
Trevell Breeland, 19; Joseph Brooks, 19; Jakwon Buchanan, 18; and a 16-year-old youth whose name has not been released, all charges included murder and robbery in Preston’s death.
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Three Chicago men are charged with murder, robbery and other charges in connection with a crime spree, including the death of police officer Aranah Preston, 24. The identity of a 16-year-old minor suspect has not been made public. (Chicago Police Department)
Police also charged them with five other armed robberies that same evening, a carjacking and, in Breeland’s case, felony possession of a firearm. Prosecutors said all four had long criminal records and none of them had a job or completed high school.
Brooks, the suspected triggerman, told police he shot Preston when he saw her reach for her service weapon, prosecutors said.
Preston returned fire and returned two shots before being hit in the face and neck, prosecutors revealed in court.
Preston is remembered for her kindness, intellect and dedication to service. She had recently received her master’s degree in jurisprudence from the Loyola School of Law.
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Areanah Preston poses for a graduation session on April 16, 2023. Preston, 24, was shot and killed near her mother’s home in Chicago on Saturday, May 6, 2023. (Artistic Elegance Photography)
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called Preston’s death a “profound tragedy” and said, “My heart breaks for the family of the young officer who was killed.”
Johnson inherited a city that has experienced unprecedented gun violence in recent years, and it’s unclear how or if he’ll be able to fight it. During his campaign, he promised to hire 200 more Chicago Police Department detectives to solve the revolving door of cases.
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The mayor has argued that a police-first approach has failed and instead proposed increasing mental health services, expanding youth work programs and slashing property sales taxes by more than $1 million. to support more affordable housing.
Fox News’ Michael Ruiz and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
Chris Pandolfo is a writer for Fox News Digital. Send tips to chris.pandolfo@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @ChrisCPandolfo.
