On July 24, 2024, 15-year-old Valeria Rodriguez of Round Lake Beach, Illinois, was struck and killed by a stray bullet that entered her home in the 1500 block of Cherokee Drive around 9:10 p.m. She was sitting down to eat dinner when the round came through the house; she was taken by ambulance to a hospital and pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the torso, according to the Lake County coroner.

Investigators with the Round Lake Beach Police Department and the Lake County Major Crime Task Force reviewed multiple surveillance videos and used data from an electronic monitoring bracelet to place 19-year-old Shorbonia Poole Jr. in the area. A search warrant executed on July 26 uncovered a semi-automatic pistol hidden in brush; preliminary analysis linked the weapon to a shell casing found outside Valeria’s home. Poole was initially charged with unlawful possession by a felon; on August 5 additional charges including aggravated discharge of a firearm and felony murder were filed after more forensic lab results.

Valeria was a student at Round Lake High School, remembered for her infectious smile and friendly, vibrant personality. Authorities say she was not the intended target and the shooting appears random. If anyone knew Valeria or has information about the shooting, please come forward.