A woman was discovered dead shot in a Chicago alley on Sunday, January 18, 2026, in the predawn darkness. The discovery was made at around 4:30 a.m. in the Woodlawn area on the South Side of the city, in the 6400 block of South Drexel Avenue.
Upon arrival, officers from the Chicago Police Department located an unresponsive female victim in the alley. The woman had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to her body. Chicago Fire Department paramedics were called to the scene, but the victim was pronounced dead there in the alley on South Drexel Avenue.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office later identified the victim as 36-year-old Kiara Jenkins. A particularly tragic detail noted by authorities was that Jenkins resided in the same 6400 block of South Drexel Avenue where she was found murdered, indicating she was killed very close to her own home.
Area One detectives have taken the lead on the homicide investigation. As of the initial reports, no suspects are in custody, and no one has been arrested in connection with the killing. Detectives are processing the scene for evidence and are seeking to determine a motive for the shooting.
The community of Woodlawn is left mourning another loss to gun violence. The incident adds to the ongoing concerns about safety in the neighborhood and the broader South Side. The Chicago Police Department continues to investigate and urges anyone with information to come forward to help bring justice for Kiara Jenkins and her family.
As of the latest updates, no suspects have been identified or taken into custody in connection with the fatal shooting in the alley at the 6400 block of South Drexel Avenue, Woodlawn, Chicago, Illinois. Area One detectives continue their active investigation, canvassing the block for witnesses, reviewing any available surveillance, and urging community members with information to come forward anonymously if needed.
