Illinois – In a devastating and calculated act of violence outside an elementary school in Illinois, a 31-year-old mother, identified as R. Meeks, was gunned down just moments after dropping off her son. Authorities have since charged 30-year-old Q. Johnson with first-degree murder in the death of Meeks, a mother whose final moments were spent sending her child off to school with love, only to be ambushed by a woman she had previously sought legal protection from.
The fatal shooting occurred on the morning of September 8th, shortly after the morning school bell. Meeks had just kissed her 6-year-old son goodbye, telling him to “have a great day” as she turned to head toward her car. It was then that Johnson arrived with Meeks’ ex-boyfriend and father of her child, identified as C. Way, to confront her. Johnson, who also shares a child with Way, had allegedly been in a long-standing conflict with Meeks, fueled by jealousy and ongoing domestic tension involving their mutual connection to Way. The dispute had escalated to such a degree that Meeks had a restraining order against Johnson at the time of the shooting.
During a heated confrontation in front of the school, witnesses said a fight broke out between the two women. At one point, Meeks was placed in a headlock. In that moment, Johnson retrieved a firearm, walked back toward Meeks, and shot her in the face at close range. Meeks collapsed on the pavement as terrified bystanders looked on. Meeks was transported to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. The horrifying nature of her death and its setting outside a school shook the community. Just hours before she was killed, she had posted a photo of a handwritten note she’d tucked inside her son’s lunchbox, a gesture that now echoes with unbearable heartbreak.
Authorities said the shooter remained at the scene, claiming she held a concealed carry license and that the shooting was in self-defense. Her boyfriend, Way, echoed the same defense. However, the evidence, including graphic videos posted on social media, eyewitness accounts, and surveillance footage told a different story. One video showed Johnson returning to her vehicle to retrieve the weapon before walking back to the scene and firing. Despite this, Johnson was initially released, a decision that sparked public outrage and calls for justice. Social media erupted in disbelief and condemnation. Many posts criticized Way’s role in instigating the conflict and questioned how he allowed such a volatile situation to unfold in front of his child. “How you going to explain this to your son …” one commenter wrote. Others pointed to the restraining order, asking why it was ignored and why both Johnson and Way were present at the school.
Following the outcry and further investigation by detectives, Johnson was formally charged with first-degree murder. The case against her includes not only the physical evidence but also the context of her long-standing hostility toward Meeks, documented through restraining orders filed as early as December 2024 and renewed that summer. Prosecutors believe Johnson’s actions were deliberate and premeditated, with deep roots in personal resentment over a shared past with the same man. The motive, they argue, is clear: envy, anger, and an unwillingness to share attention from the father of their children.
Johnson is currently being held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing. Her arrest has brought a degree of relief to Meeks’ family, but the pain of losing a mother in such a violent, public, and preventable way lingers. As the legal proceedings unfold, one central truth remains: a little boy was left without his mother, a community mourns, and a family fights for justice in the name of a woman who should have simply been allowed to drop off her child and go on with her day.
