Chicago crime: Suspect charged months after shooting death of mother, prosecutors say

CHICAGO - A woman was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of a 31-year-old mother shortly after dropping her son off at school in the South Loop earlier this year.

Quadajah "Holly" Johnson, 31, is accused of the murder of Romeca Blackmon back on Sept. 8 near Cermak Road and State Street.

Johnson was arrested around noon on Wednesday in Des Plaines, according to Chicago police.

LIVE UPDATES: Camera outside courtroom as judge decides whether Johnson will be held in custody ahead of her trial

FOX 32’s Tia Ewing reports that the two women share children with the same man, who was also at the scene of the shooting. Johnson was initially taken into custody but then released shortly afterward.

The backstory:

Just before the shooting, Blackmon had kissed her then 6-year-old son goodbye and told him to have a great day at school. Her last post on social media was of a photo of a handwritten note she packed in his lunchbox.

Moments later, she was shot in the face during a fight outside his school. Police scanner audio reveals a fight broke out, followed by reports of a woman seen with a gun.

Her family told Fox 32 they were at a loss over why the suspect wasn't charged then.

Johnson had filed protective orders against Blackmon dating back to December 2024 and as recently as this past summer. The family believes those orders were an attempt to create a paper trail against Blackmon.

On Thursday, Chicago police announced the murder charge against Johnson.

What's next:

Johnson was set to appear in court on Thursday at 11 a.m.