A 16-year-old girl lost her life in a shooting at an apartment complex in unincorporated Northbrook, a Chicago suburb, with the gunman still at large. Authorities assure the public faces no ongoing threat.
Details of the Shooting
Lily Bova was at home in the Salem Walk Apartments around 11 a.m. on Saturday when she suffered a fatal gunshot wound. Her older sister discovered her and immediately called police. Paramedics rushed Bova to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The sheriff’s office describes the incident as isolated. “While we cannot share further details at this time, this was an isolated incident and does not appear to pose a risk to the general public,” the office stated. Investigators seek a person of interest and urge anyone with information to come forward.
School and Community Mourns
Fellow Glenbrook South High School sophomore Sian Jung, 15, heard the gunshot that morning and initially mistook it for fireworks. “It was shocking that it was near us,” Jung said. “It’s scary.”
Principal Barbara Georges messaged students Sunday, calling Bova “kind-hearted and optimistic.” “Though Lilly was a quiet spirit, her teachers and those who knew her best said she loved deeply and was positive and mature beyond her years,” Georges added.
Students returned to class grieving. Emmett Kessler noted, “You can tell the energy was down. A ton of the school knows her; she was a good person.” Friend Samuel Thompson described Bova as a “great person” who “always had a smile on her face.” Laith Bardic echoed, “Honestly, [she was] just a really good, kindhearted person. You hate to see it in the community because it’s a really good area, everyone knows each other and everyone’s really close.”
Family’s Heartbreaking Tributes
Father Anthony Bova shared his final text messages with Lily on Facebook, along with a photo of remembrance bracelets made from her T-shirt. “I never thought she would leave me this soon,” he said. Bova portrayed his daughter as “oozing with talent, oozing with good spirits” and destined to “do whatever she wanted in this world.”
He added, “She was passionate about people, she was going to make a difference in this world through teaching or nursing.” Recalling the chaos, Bova said the children’s stepfather, Oscar, rushed in shouting, “Get up, Lilly’s been shot.” Bova called for action: “We must control these guns!”
Mother Christie Marie posted on Facebook: “This pain will never go away it will never feel real. You were glued to my side and I will forever keep you there. Justice is coming bell. Justice is coming my sweet girl. I love you.”
Cousin Gabriella Cruz remembered Bova’s resilience: “No matter what life threw at her, she always had a positive outlook, and that is something that impacted me so much.” Cruz vowed, “I have to make a change because the kind of person she was, was something that I don’t see every day in my life.” Cousin Sean Hanna lamented the loss as “abrupt and unnecessary,” adding, “None of us know what we can do because there’s nothing that can be done to undo what’s already been done.”
Support for the Family
A GoFundMe campaign supports Bova’s memorial service and her family, raising over $13,900 as of Tuesday. The funeral is scheduled for April 9.
