Lilly Bova, 16, a high school sophomore at Glenbrook South, was killed around 11 a.m. on Saturday. The incident occurred in a Cook County neighborhood in Chicago. The armed suspect is still on the loose. In a statement, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office said, “While we cannot share further details at this time, this was an isolated incident and does not appear to pose a risk to the general public.”
The Mirror US reported that Bova was found with a gunshot wound at the scene. She was immediately taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, about a 20-minute drive from downtown Chicago. However, she was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The incident has shocked the neighborhood. Speaking to WGN-TV, Samuel Thompson, a friend of hers, said Bova was a “great person” who “always had a smile on her face.” He added, “It’s just so sad.”
Heartbreaking: 16-year-old Lilly Bova, a sophomore at Glenbrook South High School, was fatally shot Saturday morning at her apartment in the Salem Walk complex, unincorporated Glenview.
Police found her with a gunshot wound around 11 a.m., rushed her to Advocate Lutheran General… pic.twitter.com/uqURvE0wWa
— Global Pulse (@movielover93582) March 30, 2026
Laith Bardic, another friend of the high-schooler, noted, “Honestly, (she was) just a really good, kind-hearted person. You hate to see it in the community, because it’s a really good area, everyone knows each other, and everyone’s really close.”
Anthony Jackson, who lived in the same complex where Bova was killed, expressed extreme shock. “It’s real peaceful around here, usually, so for something like this to happen, it’s crazy. It doesn’t make sense to me,” Jackson told WGN TV.
In a letter to parents, Glenbrook Dist. 225, said, “Though Lilly was a quiet spirit, her teachers and those who knew her best said she loved deeply and was bright, positive and mature beyond her years. Her kind-hearted and optimistic nature will be sorely missed.”
Meanwhile, a Facebook user by the name Orlando Mendoza wrote, “Words can’t express the horrible loss we suffered yesterday. The 16-year-old daughter of my great friend and bandmate, Anthony Bova, Lilly Bova, was senselessly and cruelly taken from us through gun violence.”
SAY HER NAME: Lily Bova (16)
Lily was kiIIed yesterday in her home in the quiet Chicago suburb of Glenview, Illinois. Hispanic suspect. pic.twitter.com/5mSkOMX89H
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) March 30, 2026
“Lilly was also one of my daughter Madilynn’s best friends. I am putting together a GoFundMe to help the family with any and all expenses in a tragic time like this. I will put it up as soon as it’s ready. Please give anything you can to help,” Facebook user Orlando Mendoza wrote,” Mendoza wrote.
A GoFundMe page has been started in Bova’s memory. “I know it can never take away any pain, but I don’t want him to have to worry about finding the funds to give his daughter a service, a burial, a celebration, whatever he needs to do for her. Thank you again,” the page read.
It has collected over $6,000 out of the $9,000 requested.
