Federal Arrest in Gang Shooting
Federal Authorities Arrest Ex-Teacher for Alleged Role in Deadly Chicago Mass Shooting
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Key Points
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The two gunmen named in connection with the shooting were Ricardo Granadillo Padilla and Edward Martinez Cermeno, and DHS notes that they were previously arrested and deported after the December 2024 attack.
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Occhipinti was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations Chicago (HSI Chicago) on May 13, 2026, late at night, by the HSI Chicago’s Human Trafficking and Smuggling Group, and she remains in custody pending removal from the United States.
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Chicago police recovered multiple firearms from Occhipinti’s vehicle immediately following the December 2024 attack, according to DHS and law‑enforcement statements.
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Occhipinti previously taught in Illinois, including a stint in Elgin (a Chicago suburb), before her arrest, a detail highlighted in coverage that notes her former teaching role and location.
Federal agents arrested a former Illinois schoolteacher on May 13, 2026, for allegedly driving two gunmen to a Chicago house party where three people were killed in December 2024. Giovanna Mercedes Moreno Occhipinti, 32, is a Venezuelan national with Italian citizenship who taught in Elgin, Illinois, before her arrest, according to DHS.
Chicago police had already arrested Occhipinti in December 2024 after finding multiple firearms in her vehicle near the shooting scene. But the Cook County State's Attorney's Office declined to prosecute, and she walked free — without anyone notifying federal immigration authorities. She remained in the U.S. for more than 530 days after that release before Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) took her into custody, Daily Caller reported.
The December 2024 Shooting and What Police Found
The attack happened at a house party in Chicago in December 2024. Three people died and several others were injured. Federal authorities say the two gunmen were Ricardo Granadillo Padilla and Edward Martinez Cermeno, both linked to Tren de Aragua — a violent Venezuelan gang that has expanded into major U.S. cities. Both men were later arrested and deported, according to DHS.
Chicago police stopped Occhipinti's car shortly after the shooting. Officers found multiple guns inside the vehicle. She was charged with unlawful use of weapons. Weeks later, Cook County prosecutors dropped the case, saying the evidence did not support a conviction for the shooting itself. Authorities sent zero notifications to ICE about her arrest or release, per DHS statements cited by PJ Media.
How a Venezuelan National Taught Kids in Elgin for Years
Occhipinti entered the U.S. in October 2021 using her Italian passport through the Visa Waiver Program, which allows a 90-day stay. She overstayed that window in January 2022 and remained in the country illegally. Using her dual citizenship let her skip the stricter screening often applied to Venezuelan nationals entering through the southern border, The St. Kitts Nevis Observer noted.
Despite her immigration status, Occhipinti passed a background check and got a teaching job in Elgin, a major Chicago suburb. Investigators have not publicly said how she cleared state employment screening. The Illinois State Board of Education is now facing calls for mandatory immigration status checks on all public and charter school hires, according to World Infonasional.
Illinois Sanctuary Policy at the Center of Federal Criticism
Illinois's TRUST Act bars local police from telling ICE when a suspect is released — unless a judge signs a warrant. That policy is why Occhipinti walked free in December 2024 with no federal follow-up. DHS Secretary Mullin called her release "an affront to the victims," saying, "HSI will continue to hunt down those whom local jurisdictions refuse to hold accountable."
The Trump administration is expected to use this case to argue in court for cutting federal grants to sanctuary cities. Legal analysts cited by Americas Voice News say the decision to drop a weapons charge — when guns were physically found in the car — was highly unusual and points to either a clerical failure or an intentional policy that backfired.
HSI Tracked Occhipinti for Over a Year Before the Arrest
After local prosecutors closed the case, HSI Chicago's Human Trafficking and Smuggling Group kept investigating. Agents spent more than a year building a case, identifying Occhipinti as a logistical "facilitator" for TdA's enforcement operations — someone who moved people and weapons rather than pulling the trigger herself. She was arrested late at night on May 13, 2026, Daily Caller reported.
Occhipinti remains in federal custody and faces removal from the United States. The case signals a shift in how HSI operates — moving beyond border arrests to track down gang facilitators already living inside U.S. communities, even when local courts have previously let them go, according to PJ Media.
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