Maria Roque: Chicago mom shot by ex-boyfriend in front of her two children despite their attempts to 'save her'

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: The tragic killing of Chicago mom Maria Roque by her ex-boyfriend has left her family in deep sorrow.

Roque's two children, along with her twin brother, witnessed the incident as she was shot outside her home in Chicago, Illinois.

Despite the attempts of her twin brother and the children to save her, she succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds.

What happened to Maria Roque?

Maria Roque, aged 34, fell victim to a multiple gunshot attack by her ex-boyfriend last Wednesday in the early morning hours, in Chicago's Austin neighborhood on the west side. 

As of early Monday, no suspect has been apprehended. Roque's family, including her twin brother Andres, strongly believes her tragic murder is connected to persistent domestic violence issues.

Roque's ex-boyfriend had reportedly been facing a warrant for violating a protection order on the day she, the mother of a son and daughter, was fatally shot. 

The protection order, initially issued on November 07 and extended on November 28, was once again extended on December 13, just hours after Maria Roque lost her life.

Remarkably, the protection order was prolonged until January 03, 2024, on the same day Roque faced the fatal attack.

What did Maria Roque's twin brother say?

After the devastating loss of Maria Roque, her twin brother Andres expressed the profound heartbreak he feels over his sister's violent death.

Andres shared, "I want to cry, I want to throw things, but I can't." He also disclosed a heartbreaking detail about the children 8 and 14 ages, who witnessed the fatal shooting, with her son expressing, "I tried to save her."

Andres recounted, "Hearing my nephew cry and say, 'I tried to save her,' is unbearable." He further added, "One in the car, and one heard the shot, and saw his own mom on the stairs, trying to breathe, and she put in CPR. That's the most horrible. She was always lovely," as per Law&Crime

He then claimed, "Especially, I know, my brothers; and right now they are suffering a little bit, but we just want justice for her."

Maria's closest friend, Mari Duran expressed her desire for swift justice. She then shared, "She was a giver. She wore her heart on her sleeves. You would've never known she was going through the stuff that she was going through, the nightmare she was living."

Duran concluded, "She was one to kind of wipe it off, like, 'It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay" as per CBS.