A Rochelle woman died Sunday as a result of injuries suffered in a Jan. 26 shooting, Rochelle Police Chief Pete Pavia said Wednesday.
Pavia identified the victim as Mariah Avila, 27.
Rochelle police were called at 6:38 a.m. Jan. 26 for a report of shots fired in the 100 block of West McConaughy Ave. Upon arrival, officers discovered Avila, who had suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was unconscious but breathing.
Officers also located a 29-year-old male, identified Wednesday as Spencer Contreras of Rochelle, suffering from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a Jan. 26 news release from the Rochelle Police Department.
Avila was taken to Rochelle Community Hospital and later flown to a Rockford hospital, where she was listed in critical condition and placed on life support. The family made the decision to remove her from life support on Sunday, and she succumbed to her injuries, Pavia said.
Contreras was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting. No other people were in the apartment at the time of the shooting, and no one else was injured, according to the release.
RPD was assisted by the Rochelle Fire Department, the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office and the Illinois State Police Crime Scene Unit. The incident remains under investigation by Rochelle police. Anyone with information is asked to call RPD at 815-562-2131.
A GoFundMe, has been established for Avila’s family. As of Wednesday, it had raised $20,820 through 280 donations.
Funds raised will be used to cover funeral and memorial expenses, as well as travel costs for the family. Any remaining balance after funeral costs will be donated to domestic violence and mental health programs, the GoFundMe’s organizer, Meghan O’Rorke, said in an update on the site Tuesday.
“We are mourning the loss of Mariah, whose life was tragically taken by domestic violence and gun violence,” O’Rorke wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Mariah was more than a victim of violence. She was loved, she mattered, and her life had meaning. Her death has left our family heartbroken and forever changed, and we are committed to speaking her truth while honoring her memory.”
Avila’s mother, Jackie, posted an update on the GoFundMe page Feb. 1.
“Sadly, our sweet girl will be passing,” the update said. “While our hearts are broken, we are choosing to honor her incredible strength and kindness. As her final gift as a donor, she will live on by saving multiple lives. That is the kind of person she is, and we are so proud of her.”