Illinois – In a tragic and cold‑blooded act of violence outside an elementary school in Illinois, a 31‑year-old mother, identified as R. Meeks, was fatally shot just moments after dropping off her son. Authorities have charged a 30‑year-old woman, identified as Q. Johnson, with first‑degree murder. Meeks’ final act was sending her child off to school with love—only to be ambushed by a woman against whom she had an active restraining order.
On September 8, shortly after the morning school bell, Meeks kissed her 6‑year-old son goodbye, telling him “have a great day” before turning to head back to her car. It was in that moment that Johnson appeared, accompanied by Meeks’ ex‑boyfriend and the child’s father, C. Way. Johnson, who shared her own child with Way, had a long‑standing dispute with Meeks — a conflict fueled by jealousy and domestic tension over their shared partner. At the time of the shooting, Meeks had obtained a restraining order against Johnson.
Witnesses say the encounter outside the school began as a confrontation that quickly turned physical. At one point, Meeks was placed in a headlock. That’s when Johnson retrieved a firearm, walked back toward Meeks, and shot her in the face at close range. The mother collapsed onto the pavement as bystanders looked on in horror. She was rushed to the hospital, where she later died. The brutality of the shooting — in broad daylight, outside a school — sent shockwaves through the community. Heartbreakingly, just hours before the murder, Meeks had posted a photo online of a handwritten note she had tucked into her son’s lunchbox — a simple gesture now steeped in tragic irony.
Johnson remained at the scene after the shooting. She and Way both claimed she held a concealed-carry license, and Johnson insisted the shooting was in self-defense. But video footage, eyewitness testimony, and social-media posts undermined that narrative. One piece of surveillance showed Johnson walking back to her vehicle, retrieving a weapon, and then returning to fire. The evidence painted a different picture — one of a fatal, premeditated act, not a defensive reaction. Though she was briefly released, the decision sparked public outrage. On social media, calls for justice flooded in, criticism directed at both Johnson and Way. Many questioned how — with a restraining order in place — Johnson and the child’s father could freely enter a school zone with deadly intent.
In the wake of public pressure and an exhaustive investigation, prosecutors formally charged Johnson with first‑degree murder. The case includes extensive evidence: surveillance video, witness statements, prior restraining orders, and a clear pattern of hostility rooted in jealousy over shared parental ties. Authorities argue Johnson’s actions were deliberate, motivated by envy, anger, and a refusal to share attention from the father of their children.
Johnson remains detained without bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing. Her arrest has offered a measure of relief to Meeks’ grieving family — but the pain of losing a mother in such a violent, avoidable tragedy still runs deep. When this is all over, one fact remains clear and haunting: a little boy has lost his mother; a community mourns; and those who loved her are left to fight for justice for a woman who should have simply been able to drop off her child and go on with her day.
