28-year-old mother and mail carrier found shot to death inside car in Chicago suburb
ORLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) --A mother who worked as a Chicago mail carrier was found dead inside a car at a gated community complex in southwest suburban Orland Park overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.
Police responded to the 170th block of Redbud Lane for reports of shots fired just after midnight. They found the body of Mechellea Williams, 28, in a car filled with bullet holes.
A witness told CBS 2 he heard multiple gunshots overnight.
First responders performed life-saving measures, but were unable to save Williams.
Police have not said whether the shooting was targeted or a random act of violence.
Among the staff the Fort Dearborn Post Office, at 540 N. Dearborn St. in the River North community, word quickly spread from Orland Park that one of their own had been shot and killed.
Williams was a dedicated letter carrier at the Fort Dearborn Post Office.
"That let me know right there, you know, she was strong, dedicated," said mail carrier Shezelle Reed, "because this job is not for just anyone."
Reed didn't know Williams personally, but described all letter carriers as a tight-knit group.
"As a whole, you know – USPS, you know? Something happens to one of us, it feels like it happened to all of us, you know?" Reed said. "It's scary out here, and it's tragic."
Williams was a mother of three, according to Elise Foster, the president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 11.
"Having to deal with this is just hurtful to all of us," Foster said. "She was a great coworker and friend to the coworkers. She just came to work to make a living for her family."
"Unfortunate, you know? Scary, you know?" added Reed. "Just think about her children, you know? Who will raise them?"
Police were at the at the scene for several hours following the shooting, poring over nearby surveillance footage to piece together what happened. No arrests have been made. No arrests had been made as of Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, Williams' coworkers and family are planning an event to honor her life in the coming days.