Shock And Outrage In Humboldt Park At Death Of Young Parents Yasmin Perez, Gyovanny Arzuaga In Shooting Called 'Execution-Style'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two young children will now grow up without parents, with their mom and dad both now having died from their wounds in a gruesome shooting during Puerto Rican pride festivities in Humboldt Park.
As CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reported, Gyovanny Arzuaga, 24, and Yasmin Perez, 25, were the parents of young kids Sofiya and Jayden. On Saturday night, they were the victims of a horrific shooting described as being execution-style – and which all stemmed from a minor traffic accident.
Arzuaga died soon afterward, while Perez succumbed to her wounds earlier Tuesday.
The signs of love and respect were overflowing Tuesday night at a growing memorial for Arzuaga and Perez. Word of her Perez's death on Tuesday had yet to reach Aiza Knight, who stopped to say a prayer.
"Oh my God, no, I didn't know that," Knight said. "Oh my God, they need to catch him."
a seemingly endless procession of friends and family came to the 3200 block of West Division Street in Humboldt park to say goodbye. The couple was shot and killed during Puerto Rican pride festivities on Division Street between Kedzie and Spaulding avenues just after 9 p.m. Saturday.
"I'm just sad and angry," said Janette Rodriguez, a friend of the victims. "This was going to be his first Father's Day."
"He just came out here to celebrate," said Joshua Diaz.
The couple came to Humboldt Park to celebrate the Puerto Rican People's Parade on Saturday. In a now-viral video, a group surrounds their car and they pull Perez out of the driver's seat, beat her, and then shoot her.
Arzuaga tried shielding her, but he too was shot and killed.
"Execution style - that's what they did," Knight said. "All he did was try to save his wife, so they decided to shoot him in the head."
"I couldn't even watch it. I'm not going to watch it," Diaz added. "It doesn't make sense at all."
Police say the shooting stemmed from a minor traffic accident moments before.
Video showing the shooting from another angle and recorded from a city camera was leaked and posted online. A probe into the video's unauthorized release also under investigation.
"It's hard to believe that he's gone," Knight said. "A young guy is gone just because of an accident."
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city does have some leads on who the possible shooter is, adding that no resource will be spared.