CHICAGO (WLS) – Police say a young mother from Chicago was killed when three gunmen opened fire on her car. Incredibly, her 1-year-old daughter in the back seat was not hurt.

Gabryel Ayers, 26, and her 27-year-old boyfriend were shot Wednesday afternoon in their car on Chicago’s South Side before crashing. Ayers was killed, and her boyfriend was wounded.

Incredibly, Ayers’ daughter, who was in the back seat of the car, was not hit by any of the 50 gunshots.

Gabryel Ayers, 26, was killed when three gunmen opened fire on her car. Incredibly, her 1-year-old daughter in the back seat was not hurt.(Source: Ayers family, WLS via CNN)

“If he didn’t show that he’s still God by protecting that baby, I don’t know what else he can show you,” Alderman David Moore said.

During a Friday prayer vigil attended by Mayor Brandon Johnson, other local elected officials, anti-violence advocates and others, there were pleas for the killing to stop.

“You’re going to see our guys out here in these yellow or orange jackets constantly engaging the community, putting out fires everywhere,” violence interrupter Joshua Coakley said.

Chicago Police also held an outdoor roll call Friday at the scene of the shooting in a show of solidarity. Community member Demetric Brown, who lost her adult daughter to gun violence in 2021, was among those who attended.

“I just can relate to what this family is going through. It’s very painful, and it just reminds me that we need to get these guns off the street,” Brown said.

Investigators say three men were involved in the shooting that killed Ayers. As of Friday, no arrests had been made, with police saying the investigation was ongoing.

Michael Pfleger, the pastor of St. Sabina Catholic Church, offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

“Don’t be silent. Don’t sit back because if you do, then you are a co-conspirator to everything that they do,” Pfleger said.

The attack unfolded around 1:25 p.m. in the 7900 block of South May Street. Surveillance footage shows Ayers’ white sedan involved in a minor collision with a GMC van. Moments later, three armed suspects—dressed in black—approached on foot and unleashed a barrage of gunfire, estimated at over 50 rounds based on shell casings recovered at the scene. The suspects briefly retreated, then returned in a red vehicle (described variably as an Alfa Romeo SUV or similar) to fire additional shots before fleeing. Ayers, seated in the front passenger seat, was struck multiple times, including fatal wounds. Draper, the driver, was hit in the arm and buttocks but survived. Miraculously, Ayers’ 14-month-old daughter, strapped in the back seat, emerged completely unharmed, with no bullets striking her despite the intensity of the assault. A police officer carried the child to safety, a scene that has been called “a miracle” by family and witnesses.

Her godfather, Pastor Kirk Bell, described the horror: “These animals have no value for life. There’s a baby in the car.” Ayers, a hairstylist and young mother, was pronounced dead at Little Company of Mary Hospital after being rushed there in critical condition. The community response was swift and emotional. On February 6, hundreds gathered at 79th and May streets for a vigil organized by St. Sabina Parish, where Rev. Michael Pfleger announced a $10,000 reward (with additional offers from Cook County Crime Stoppers bringing the total higher in some reports) for information leading to arrests. Mayor Brandon Johnson attended, calling the violence a tear in “the thread of the soul of Chicago.” State Sen. Willie Preston condemned the perpetrators as “monsters” and urged residents to speak up: “Enough is enough.”