Gunman Kills 23-Year-Old During Ambush at West Side Car Wash

A 23-year-old man was fatally shot Tuesday evening while working on his car on the Lower West Side.

Chicago police responded to the shooting at approximately 5:30 p.m. in the 2400 block of West 23rd Street.

The victim, identified as Victor Roa Soto, was in the parking lot of Ducky’s Car Wash at the time of the attack.

Soto was reportedly attaching a license plate bracket to the front of his vehicle when the violence began.

His sister was sitting in the front passenger seat watching him work when a vehicle pulled into the lot.

Police reports describe the suspect vehicle as a blue, late-model Honda CRV.

A passenger in the rear of the SUV opened fire using a fully automatic handgun.

Soto collapsed in the parking lot after being struck multiple times in the head, shoulder, and chest.

The gunmen sped away from the scene, fleeing west on 23rd Street.

Chicago Fire Department paramedics rushed Soto to Mount Sinai Hospital for emergency treatment.

Soto died during surgery and was officially pronounced dead at 6:08 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

No suspects are currently in custody, and Area Four detectives are leading the investigation.

Family Launches GoFundMe to Cover Funeral Costs

In a GoFundMe campaign titled “Support for my brother,” Victor’s sister shared a moving tribute to the man she described as her “baby.”

The statement highlights the devastating emotional and financial toll the murder has taken on the family:

“My brother was an exemplary man, a gentleman, and the hardest-working young man in the world.

To me, he was always my baby, someone perfect who dreamed of taking care of me and our parents.

His kindness and dedication made him special, and his greatest wish was to see us well and always protect us.

Sadly, we recently experienced a tragedy that has left an immense void in our lives.

Someone took him from us unexpectedly and painfully.

Nothing can ease the pain of losing someone so precious so suddenly.

Now, my family and I face not only the grief but also the expenses that come with it.”