Beloved Math Teacher Killed During Chicago Gang Violence

A beloved middle school math teacher was killed by a stray bullet as she walked down a street in Chicago’s Rogers Park. The teacher became yet another casualty of the pervasive gang violence in the city.

Cynthia Trevillion, 64, a teacher at Chicago’s Waldorf School, was struck in the head by a bullet as she walked down the street with her husband on Friday.

“She was an extremely generous soul … she radiates warmth and empathy to all who know her. She has many, many friendships,” the teacher’s husband, John, told Chicago’s ABC 7.

Trevillion’s school issued a statement of condolences:

Our thoughts and prayers are with John and Cynthia’s family. Cynthia was a beloved faculty member for over 30 years. Her Waldorf family reaches hundreds if not thousands of grieving friends. Just as Cynthia was a proud source of strength for Rogers Park, the Chicago Waldorf School stands resolute in our commitment to be a force of good for our neighborhood and Chicago. Cynthia’s spirit will carry us in this important work.

The Waldorf School has canceled classes for Tuesday to allow employees and students to attend the teacher’s funeral. Meanwhile, local residents helped raise nearly $30,000 for burial expenses.

The shooting was a result of a drive-by attack from a car full of young gangbangers who aimed to kill members of a rival gang sitting in another car. Trevillion was the only person killed in the attack.

“Any victim of gun violence is a tragedy, but it is especially tragic and intolerable for an innocent victim to be gunned down on a busy street in the early evening,” City Alderman Joe Moore told the media.

Police currently have no suspects for the crime.

Trevillion was one of three people killed during a five-hour span on Friday and one of eight killed during the rainy Chicago weekend.

The second weekend of October brings the number of Chicago homicides to 558 for this year. The weekend’s statistics add to the Chicago Tribune list of the overall number of Chicago shooting victims, which stands at 3,014 for 2017, through October 15.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.