Pair Described as 'Loving Moms' Killed, Baby Injured During Altercation with Man Over State Assistance Card

An Illinois woman and her cousin were shot to death inside their home and their suspected killer was found dead the following day from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in a nearby park, according to authorities.

Officers recently responded to reports of gunfire at a residence in Cicero, according to police.

At the residence, the officers found two wounded women, identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office as Jessica Hughes, 29, and 19-year-old Myeshia Newby, and they were rushed to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where they died.

One day after the deadly shooting, police announced that an unidentified man was found dead at a park located just one mile away from where the two women were shot. The man died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

According to WLS, family members said Newby was in a relationship with the man who was found dead in the park.

The family told officials that Newby and the man, identified as 21-year-old Rafael Vega, were arguing over a state cash assistance card, WLS reported.

Michael Benton, Hughes’ father, told WLS that the man, who was Newby’s boyfriend, shot Newby and then turned the gun toward Hughes, who had picked up Newby’s infant son and was trying to escape.

The infant was grazed by a bullet and is in stable condition at a hospital, officials said.

“My daughter dropped at my feet," Benton said. "She had the baby in her hand. She had been shot in the face and in the chest. And, he was trying to get by me, so me and him got to fighting.”

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The suspected shooter fled and Cicero police launched a search, but officers weren’t able to locate him until the following morning in the park, authorities said.

Hughes’ mother Michelle Musgray told WLS, “It’s devastating for the whole family. They were loving, both of them, loving moms, good souls.”