Gabryel Ayers, inset, was killed by three masked gunmen in an ambush at 79th and May on February 4, 2026. (Cook County Crime Stoppers, Chicago Critter)
Cook County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of masked gunmen who fatally shot a 26-year-old woman in a brazen daylight attack in Auburn Gresham on Wednesday afternoon.
Gabryel Ayers was sitting in a vehicle in the 7900 block of South May Street around 1:30 p.m. when three masked gunmen approached and opened fire, according to video of the attack. Ayers was struck multiple times throughout her body and later died at Loyola University Medical Center.
A 27-year-old man in the vehicle suffered gunshot wounds to his buttocks and arm and was taken to Christ Hospital in good condition, police said. A young child who was also inside the vehicle at the time of the shooting was not injured.
Video footage captured by a passing motorist and shared online by Chicago Critter shows the gunmen dressed in black clothing emerging from a red car and rushing toward the victims’ vehicle while firing. After returning to their getaway car, the driver stopped near the crashed vehicle to allow the gunmen to fire additional shots at the victims.
“This is yet another senseless and cowardly act of violence,” said Paul Rutherford, Executive Director of Cook County Crime Stoppers. “The fact that this shooting occurred in the daytime hours and while a mother was inside a car with a child is absolutely outrageous. No family should ever have to experience this level of brutality. We need the public’s help to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.”
The organization is also offering a separate $10,000 reward for information related to a similar ambush that left two men dead and a third badly injured on Tuesday afternoon on the West Side. At approximately 1:20 p.m., three men were inside a vehicle at a White Castle located at 2356 W. Roosevelt Road when three masked gunmen approached on foot and opened fire, police said.
The gunfire caused the victims’ vehicle to catch fire, but only two of the victims were able to escape the flames, police said. A 28-year-old man was found dead in the parking lot with a gunshot wound to his chest. A 44-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the back and was transported to Stroger Hospital by a bystander. The third victim, a 35-year-old man, remained inside the burning vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.
Officers arriving at the scene found between 25 and 30 shell casings scattered across the parking lot and drive-thru area, according to CPD.
Surveillance footage showed three Black males fleeing the scene in a gray Dodge Durango, according to police. One, dressed in all black, was armed with a handgun. The other two suspects wore all gray clothing, with one carrying a handgun and the other armed with a rifle, an officer said.
Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-535-STOP or through the online portal at www.CPDTIP.com. Tips can also be emailed to [email protected]. Tipsters may remain anonymous and receive a unique code to claim rewards if their information leads to charges being filed.
