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Shocking moment couple are 'executed' after 'minor' car accident

WARNING — GRAPHIC CONTENT: Two young children now face life without their mum and dad after the couple were killed during a “horrific” attack following a “very minor” car accident.

The tragic incident occurred as Yasmin Perez, 23, and her partner Gyovanny Arzuaga, 24, were leaving a Puerto Rican Day parade in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighbourhood on Saturday night (local time).

Graphic CCTV footage shows a group of several men drag Ms Perez out of the driver’s seat of her car before beating and shooting her.

Mr Arzuaga can be seen crawling on top of the mother of his children in an effort to shield her before being shot and killed by a gunman in a white tank top.

Yasmin Perez, 23, and her partner Gyovanny Arzuag and a CCTV still of the deadly shooting.
The tragic incident occurred as Yasmin Perez, 23, and her partner Gyovanny Arzuaga, 24, were leaving a Puerto Rican Day parade in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighbourhood. Source: CBS 2

Mr Arzuaga died soon after but Yasmin was rushed to hospital, where she died on Tuesday (local time).

Brendan Deenihan, chief of detectives of the Chicago Police Department, said this week the incident stemmed from a “very minor” traffic accident, the Chicago Tribune reported.

When the group confronted the couple, “they are seen hitting and beating the woman, who was the driver of the vehicle and then eventually dragging her out,” Mr Deenihan said.

“What the video doesn’t show is there was a shot discharged at some point. You can’t see it in the video. And that appears when the female gets struck [by gunfire],” Deehihan said.

“And then you see [a] suspect clearly just holding the gun, shooting him in the head almost execution-style,” he added.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot urged for anyone involved to turn themselves into police, the publication reported.

A photo of the couple at a memorial for the parents.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot urged for anyone involved to turn themselves into police. Source: CBS 2

“There’s one person who dealt the fatal shot, but there were others who were standing by, who dragged that poor woman out of the car, the man who was killed literally used his body as a shield and he paid for that with his life,” she said, adding that the couple’s families are in “deep pain”.

Mr Arzuaga’s heartbroken aunt, Vickie Ponciano, wept as she told local publications on Tuesday that the pair had “left their babies behind”.

They are parents to a young boy and girl, family members said in a GoFundMe created to help pay for funeral costs.

“We are all heartbroken and devastated beyond belief,” the fundraiser reads.

Mr Arzuaga and Ms Perez were among eight people fatally shot in Chicago from 6 pm Friday to late Sunday night (local time).

An investigation is ongoing.

With AP

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