Slain off-duty Chicago Police officer graduate of Illinois State University

CHICAGO (25News Now) - A Chicago Police officer killed while off-duty early Saturday was identified as a graduate of Illinois State University.

In a departmental statement from ISU Criminal Justice Sciences chair Dr. Donna Selman, identified Officer Areanah Preston as a 2020 graduate of the university, offered condolences to her family, friends and the community, calling Preston a standout student filled with passion and compassion.

“She approached her work with a profound and deep commitment to improving the lives of those in her community,” she said. “Faculty members describe Areanah as a real force for change and exactly the type of person you hope will enter law enforcement.”

“The world has been robbed of a truly special woman and all of the future good works that she would have accomplished.”

Preston was shot around 1:42 a.m. in the city’s Avalon Park neighborhood.

She was with the Chicago Police Department for nearly three years.