Chicago Area Local News

CHICAGO (CBS) ― A Chicago Public Schools teacher was shot and killed on the South Side Sunday night.

Erika Prince, 32, was shot in the head at 8745 S. Euclid Ave., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.

Police are now calling this a homicide and saying little more than that. But family members say detectives told them this may be a case of mistaken identity, all because the teacher was sitting in a car identical to the one owned by the intended victim.

In addition to being a teacher, Prince was a loving mother. She was dedicated to her own children, and the students at Arthur Dixon Elementary School.

Prince worked in the Chatham neighborhood for the last six years. Her daughter attended Dixon Elementary, as well.

The principal sent a flyer home with students telling them beloved teacher died in a drive-by shooting.

Thirteen-year-old Aseante Armstrong was one of Prince's students. He said Prince helped shape his life.

"She was like my mother, she was like my second mother," he said.

"I just broke down and cried, 'cause I couldn't believe it. This lady, she was so nice. She was attentive. Every time Aseante needed anything, she was there," said Katrina White, Armstrong's mother.

"She helped me when I had problems. …. She was like my second mother," Armstrong said.

Armstrong was helping Prince install a cabinet in her home Saturday, just hours before she was found shot in the head in her car. 

Family member said Prince was on life support for about seven hours Sunday before relatives made the decision to take her off of it. Prince's co-workers spent several hours at the hospital hoping she would survive. Now they are preparing to say farewell.

"She loved life. She loved her kids. She loved the Dixon school family. And she was about peace…" said teacher assistant Iris Freeman, who taught with Prince.

Prince's family told CBS 2 she had gone to her children's great-grandmother's house after a family skating trip when she was gunned down on south Euclid Avenue. Signs in the neighborhood show residents want to stop violence on the streets.

"A loss like this, you know, the kids lost their mother, there are no words for it," said DeMarco Hughes, who had two children with Prince. They are 9 and 5 years old.

Their 9-year-old daughter is an honor student at the school where Prince taught 7th and 8th graders.

"All I could do was just shake my head. I just can't believe this. I mean it was like shock," said Dixon Elementary Principal Sharon Dale.

Dale said Prince dedicated her time to helping her students work out the problems of life, inside and outside the classroom.

Prince's former student Brandon Russell was already dealing with the shooting death of his cousin about three weeks ago when he was told violence also took his mentor, instructor and friend.

"It's not a feeling that you can explain when you've lost someone that is real close to you," Russell said. "We shared the same things she loved dance, I loved dance. She loved drama, I loved drama. She took me to church and got me saved and I was able to get a second chance with God through her."

Prince's church activity is one thing everyone CBS 2 talked to emphasized. Friends said she was a member of Salem Baptist Church.

Prince's friends and co-workers say she was happy and there were no signs of trouble at home.

As the family begins to make funeral arrangements the school is planning its own memorial service.

CBS 2's Pamela Jones and Dana Kozlov contributed to this report.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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