A life filled with promise was tragically cut short just four days after a joyous milestone. Jasmine Chacon-Chavez, a 21-year-old Hispanic woman and mother to a young son, was killed in a drive-by shooting on the Southwest Side of Chicago on the night of Saturday, December 16, 2017. She had just celebrated her 21st birthday on December 13th, looking forward to a future that was stolen in a sudden act of violence.
Those who knew and loved Jasmine remember her as a cherished mother, daughter, and sister. Her memories live on with her son, Jose Angel Rodriguez, her parents, Bacilio and Maria, and her two brothers, Tonny and Richard Chacon. A resident of the Brighton Park neighborhood, her loss left an irreplaceable void in the hearts of her family, aunts, uncles, cousins, and many friends who will forever miss her presence.
The fatal shooting occurred at approximately 9:40 p.m. in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. Jasmine was a passenger in a four-door sedan, traveling south in the 5900 block of South Richmond Street with two other people. Without warning, an assailant on the sidewalk opened fire on the vehicle, reportedly with a rifle, shattering the evening's quiet. The ambush was swift and brutal. Jasmine and another passenger, 25-year-old Frankie Baez, also from Brighton Park, were struck by the gunfire and pronounced dead at the scene. A third person in the car, a 20-year-old man, was critically wounded with gunshots to his arms and legs and rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital for treatment.
The attack sent a wave of fear through the community. One nearby resident described the chaos, telling reporters, “As soon as I realized what it was, I hit the floor – I wasn't sure where it was coming from. I worry about my son's safety and the safety of my neighbors because they have kids, too.” The Chicago Lawn neighborhood, historically a residential area for blue-collar families on the city's southwest side, has contended with rising violence over the years, leaving many residents feeling unsafe in their own community.
Detectives from the Chicago Police Department's Area Central were assigned to investigate the double homicide. However, the case has grown cold in the years since the shooting. Despite the initial investigation and the shock that rippled through the neighborhood, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with the murders of Jasmine Chacon-Chavez and Frankie Baez. The motive for the shooting remains unknown, leaving their families with unanswered questions and the enduring pain of an unresolved loss.
As of March 2021, the case officially remained unsolved, with no new leads or information released to the public. The families of Jasmine and Frankie are left waiting for justice and closure. The tragic loss of a young mother and a young man serves as a painful reminder of the human cost of gun violence that continues to affect communities in Chicago and across the country. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities would urge anyone with information to come forward.
