Dwyane Wade’s Cousin Victim Of Deadly Shooting In Chicago: She Was Pushing Stroller Near Chicago Elementary School
This afternoon, a woman was fatally shot while pushing a baby in a stroller near the Chicago Elementary School. It has been confirmed that the woman killed was Dwyane Wade’s cousin.
The police say the shooting occurred in the Parkway Gardens neighborhood. The victim, Nakiya Aldridge, was on her way to sign her children up to attend Dulles School of Excellence when she was fatally shot in the head.
Aldridge was rushed to Stroger Hospital, but they were unable to save her and she was pronounced dead at 4:15 p.m.
According to the police, a man was also walking in the same direction as Nakiya when two other men began firing shots towards the man. Unfortunately, Aldridge was caught in the middle of the fire and was shot.
The woman fatally shot while pushing a stroller in Chicago this afternoon was NBA star Dwayne Wade’s cousin. https://t.co/3eFeCuirZT
— The Trace (@teamtrace) August 27, 2016
The baby was unharmed and was taken from the scene by a family member. Aldridge has four children and the youngest of the four is just a few weeks old. Aldridge has been living in the Parkway Gardens apartment complex for the past four months, and the school she was headed to in order to register her kids was located right next to it.
A spokesman for Aldridge’s family, Rev. Edward Jones, Jr., says that Aldridge was Dwyane Wade’s mother’s sister.
“She was a Christian woman, a loving mother, and somebody who aspired to make a life for herself and her family.”
Nakiya’s family, including Dwyane Wade’s mother JoLinda Wade, held hands in a circle outside the Stroger Hospital praying for a miracle. After she passed, the family members were seen wiping their tears, but they remain strong, Jones informs the Chicago Tribune.
“Even though this tragedy has hit our family, we will continue our focus to come against the violence in the city of Chicago. We will continue to pray, and we ask for prayers as we pray for everyone who has to go through this type of violence.”
The police marked the empty shell casings, seven to be exact, with yellow markers. It was also mentioned that a group of children were near the crime scene playing basketball.
A nephew of Dwyane Wade was shot back in March 2012. Darin Johnson was shot twice in the back of the leg when he was caught in the midst of fire by two gunmen. Johnston was one of five people injured and one killed during the shooting that took place at a convenience store in South Side Chicago.
Fortunately, Johnston was released from the hospital and has since recovered, but Dwyane has since stepped up to help fight violence. Dwyane Wade’s World Foundation helps children in situations that put them at risk.
“A lot of work that I do in the community in Chicago is about gun violence and to have a family member, my nephew, be involved in it, it’s sad. It hurts your heart to think about not only your family, but other families going through it. I’m just glad that he’s fine and hopefully he recovers. You never expect to get a call like that.”
DNA Info has previously reported that Chicago could potentially see 700 murders just in 2016. Anita Alvarez, a Cooks County State Attorney, reveals that the city is on track to see the most homicides it has seen in nearly 20 years.
Should Chicago truly see over 700 murders this year, it will top the record of 704 homicides back in 1998. According to ESPN, as of now, Chicago has seen 463 murders so far this year.
Jolinda Wade, accompanied by her sobbing sister, just spoke this evening about the violence that has taken the life of a family member.
“Just sat up on a panel yesterday, The Undefeated, talking about the violence that’s going on within our city of Chicago, never knowing that the next day we would be the ones that would be actually living and experiencing it.”
Both Jolinda and Dwyane Wade discussed Chicago’s gun violence on ESPN just one day before it took the life of a dear family member. Dwyane recently signed with the Chicago Bulls after leaving the Miami Heat.
[Image via Shutterstock]
