Woman killed in Orland Park shooting identified as postal worker, officials say

ORLAND PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- A woman died after being found shot inside a vehicle in Orland Park Wednesday morning, police said.

Orland Park police said officers responded at about 12:03 a.m. to a report of shots fired in the area of 170th block of Redbud Lane in the Orland Ridge Towns and Villas.

Officers arrived and found the victim inside a vehicle, police said. The officers made life-saving attempts, but the victim died, police said.

The Village of Orland Park identified the victim as 28-year-old Mechellea Williams.

The president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 11 of Chicago, Elise Foster, said the mother of three has been working as a postal worker in downtown Chicago for the last 8 months.

"No one wants to get that news... go out to the family," Foster said. "She's just a great person. A young lady coming to work to, you know, make a living for her family, and she was just an excellent worker."

Family members of Williams are reeling from her death and baffled by what happened.

"It's real tough, because we're all out here just trying to seek some answers, and hopefully someone will speak up and come forward," the victim's cousin, Breanna Williams, said. "It's devastating, honestly. All of that is a mystery that we're trying to solve."

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Relatives said Mechellea lived on Chicago's Far South Side. Why she ended up in Orland Park is among the unanswered questions. Her post office job at Dearborn and Ohio in Chicago did not include work in Orland Park.

"Everybody loved that girl," Breanna said. "Everybody loved her, like she was the life of the party."

The Orland Park community was in shock after learning of the fatal shooting.

"It's really terrifying honestly, because this community is really quiet," neighborhood resident Aaron Johnson said.

The shooting happened at the Orland Ridge Towns and Villas complex in the southwest suburb.

"The only thing we received was a notification from the management team, that as soon as they find out more they would share more," resident Lauren White said.

It is still unclear if it was a targeted shooting or if it was random. Police have not offered any motive in the case or what might have led up to the shooting. There were dozens of shell casings at the scene that police were looking at as they canvassed the area for evidence.

"Orland Park still remains a really, a very safe community," Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau said. "This is just a very rare occurrence, and it happened on the road. It didn't happen in someone's house, so we really don't know."

Police said the investigation into the shooting is ongoing and the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force is working with police.

Further details were not immediately available.

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