Slain Chicago officer was shot pursuing armed suspect near kids at school; murder charge filed

A shooting that claimed the life of a Chicago police officer unfolded in front of a group of children who were playing at a nearby grade school in Gage Park, according to a witness who called 911. And it happened just a couple of miles from the home the officer had just moved to with his wife and young daughter.

Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso, 32, was shot several times as he chased an armed suspect about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday on the 5200 block of South Spaulding Avenue, across the street from Sawyer Elementary School.

Steven Montano, 18, of Chicago is charged with one felony count of murder, one felony count of unauthorized use of a weapon, one felony count of firing a weapon near a school, one misdemeanor count of interfering with reporting domestic violence, and one misdemeanor count of simple assault, ABC 7 reported.

Vasquez-Lasso was taken in "extremely critical condition" to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where he died and where a large group of officers somberly gathered through the night before his body was taken by procession to the Cook County morgue on the West Side.

Vasqeuz-Lasso became the first Chicago officer to die in the line of duty since Officer Ella French, 29, was slain in August 2021 during a traffic stop shooting that also wounded her partner.

Vasqeuz-Lasso's family as started a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover funeral costs and provide support to his loved ones going forward, ABC 7 reported.

• See the full report at chicago.suntimes.com and at abc7chicago.com.