Bishop Tavis Grant, national field director for the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, is calling on Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to investigate the shooting of Aaliyah Ivory, which occurred on July 16. Ivory was shot four times in the back and twice in her front while driving north on I-57 near Vollmer Road, by a white man during a road rage incident that left her nearly dead on the side of the road.
“We are demanding answers as to why the shooter, who was arrested and released, has not been charged,” Grant told the Chicago Crusader. “I believe the Cook County State’s Attorney should investigate this because it is a crime that happened in her jurisdiction.”
The incident happened in Matteson as Ivory was driving her Ford Focus to Chicago to visit her sister, Ashlee Johnson.
“No one should have to endure the pain and anguish this woman has, and is currently experiencing,” Grant said. “Her babies could have been in the back of that car. How much does she have to go through including the loss of wages, loss of her livelihood and the loss of wellness? She must be made whole.”
Ivory said her nightmare began when a driver cut her off, and then she in turn cut him off, which is what prompted an exchange of curse words. What happened next has changed her life forever. That is when bullets shattered her rear windshield. Ivory remains hospitalized at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where she told Bishop Grant, she is in “so much pain.”
While the shooter is not in custody, Grant and Ivory want to know why he hasn’t been charged. Her sister said the Illinois State Police told her family that the shooter is a concealed carry holder and told them he fired his gun out of fear for his life.
Ivory said even if that were true, she doesn’t think fear warrants shooting her six times. “It was outrageous what he did to me,” she said.
“How did he fear for his life?” she said. “I never drew my gun. I never gave him no reason to shoot me, and then you shoot me six times.”
“My sister is concealed to carry,” Johnson added. “She does have a weapon, but she never drew her weapon; never shot her weapon. Her weapon was never taken off safety.”
Along with the physical pain, Ivory and her sister are frustrated that the suspected shooter has not been charged. They say he waited on scene for police to arrive after the shooting; cellphone video appears to show him going into the back of a squad car.
“All of the shots were in the back of her car,” Johnson said. “Be held accountable for the things that you do.”
Illinois State Police won’t say much about this shooting, and said so far, no arrests have been made.
CBS2 Chicago Legal Analyst Irv Miller says if the Illinois State Police determines the shots were fired in self-defense and the man who fired them is, in fact, a legal gun owner, it is unlikely charges will be filed.
