Crime
Shooting Reported on Chicago’s Northwest Side
On January 16, 2025, at approximately 4:50 a.m., a 35-year-old woman was fatally shot in the chest during a domestic dispute at her residence in the 5800 block of West Newport Avenue in Chicago’s Portage Park neighborhood. She was transported to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead.
The victim, a mother of three young children, had reportedly been in an abusive relationship. Neighbors recounted hearing screams and an alarm early that morning. A male suspect, believed to be in a relationship with the victim, was taken into custody for questioning. Ald. Ruth Cruz (30th) confirmed the incident stemmed from a domestic situation.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released the victim’s identity.
*If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Contact the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at 877-863-6338 for assistance in more than 240 languages.*
Teresa Youngblut faces federal firearm charges linked to the death of Agent David Maland.
BURLINGTON, Vt. — Teresa Youngblut, a 21-year-old woman from the Seattle area, has entered a not guilty plea to federal firearm charges related to the fatal shooting of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland in Vermont this January.
Youngblut is accused of using a deadly weapon to assault a Border Patrol agent and discharging a firearm during the incident. The charges stem from a traffic stop in northern Vermont that escalated into a shootout, resulting in the deaths of Agent Maland and Youngblut’s companion, Felix Bauckholt, a German citizen.
During a hearing in Burlington on Friday, Youngblut was ordered to remain in custody. Her next court appearance is set for May 8.
Investigators have revealed that the firearm used in the Vermont shooting was purchased by an individual linked to the December 31, 2022, murders of Richard and Rita Zajko in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania. Court documents filed by U.S. Attorney Michael Drescher indicate that Youngblut and the gun buyer were in regular contact with a person of interest detained in connection with the Pennsylvania case, who is also being investigated for a separate homicide in California.
Youngblut, a graduate of the prestigious Lakeside School in north Seattle, had filed for a marriage license in November with Maximilian Snyder. Snyder, who also attended Lakeside School, is currently facing charges for the fatal stabbing of a man in northern California.
According to the FBI, Youngblut and Bauckholt had been under surveillance for several days prior to the January 20 shootout. Prior to the incident, the pair had been renting separate units in the same Chapel Hill, North Carolina, neighborhood. The property owner, who requested anonymity due to safety concerns, stated that Bauckholt initially rented a unit through Airbnb in July 2023 before moving to a second unit later that year. Youngblut began renting the original unit in November 2024 and had paid nearly $10,000 to extend her stay through March.
The case continues to unfold as authorities investigate the connections between the Vermont shooting and other violent crimes across the country.