Unique Banks

Crime Category: Mass Shooting/Robbery | Weapon Used: Gun

On January 23rd, 2023, two men broke into an apartment demanding money and shot the five people present, killing Unique and her mother. Three of the victims were transgender. The case is still unsolved.

Report: “Banks and her mother were pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting in the 2900 block of East 78th Street Monday afternoon, police have said. Three other people were taken in critical condition to University of Chicago Medical Center, according to fire officials.

One of the victims drove half a mile to a McDonald’s, where police and paramedics were called. The person had been grazed in the neck and shot in the back and arm, police at the scene said.

“What I can say specifically is it does not appear to be a random act,”

Report: “The mother [of one of the victims] told FOX 32 that her son, who identifies as a woman, was shot seven times — four times in the upper body, twice in the face and once near the eardrum.

The gunmen fled and left the victims behind.

“They all played dead for their own benefit because they were shooting all crazy,” the victim’s mother said, adding her child ran to get help, driving to a nearby McDonald’s. “He saw they didn’t come back, so he ran for his life. And then he said when he jumped into his car, he thinks he saw the gunman by the bus stop standing there and just stare at him.”

Report: “Police sources telling CBS 2 that two people, described as teens wearing ski masks, one wearing camo, kicked in an apartment door and demanded money before opening fire. 

In addition to Olmo and Burgos, three others were also shot – and those who survived were all reported in critical condition at UChicago Medical Center.

“I say targeted because I don’t want the public to feel that this is just a random act of violence,” Loughran said. “We’re investigating any relationship between any victims and offenders at this time, but it is very, very preliminary.”

Report: “Loughran declined to comment further on the shooters’ motives, saying only that they were “unique to the crime itself.”

A suspect was arrested, but then released after insufficient evidence was found to charge him.

Report: “Late on Jan. 26, three days after the mass shooting, Chicago police executed a warrant at the same apartment complex in the 2900 block of East 78th Street where the 19-year-old suspect also lives,

He had been identified in photo lineups as the person who forced his way into the apartment, demanded cash and shot the five victims, according to the report. He was arrested but ultimately released from custody on Jan. 29. The Sun-Times isn’t identifying the suspect because he hasn’t been charged with a crime.

The arrest report shows felony charges weren’t brought by prosecutors and the case was marked as a continuing investigation. It was kicked back to police “pending further investigation.”

“After a review of the initial information brought to us by CPD, we informed police that additional evidence was needed before a final charging decision could be made,” the spokesperson said.”

The suspect has two pending cases in Cook County court, a felony count of residential burglary and a misdemeanor count of domestic battery, records show.”

The investigation is still ongoing, although no updates have been provided since the story was reported.