In a heartbreaking incident, a Chicago teacher was shot to death by her ex-boyfriend in front of her 7-year-old daughter, just weeks after obtaining a protective order against him. The murder-suicide occurred Thursday morning in North Lawndale.
Tanisha Weeks, 41, and her ex, Timothy Gibbs, 35, were found with gunshot wounds to the head at a home in the 4100 block of West Grenshaw Street around 7:30 a.m. Both were pronounced dead at Mt. Sinai Hospital.
According to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, Weeks suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the face and his death was ruled a homicide. The cause of Gibbs’ death is still under investigation.
Weeks, a dedicated teacher at a local charter school, had endured years of abuse at the hands of Gibbs. Court records revealed that she filed for an emergency protective order on Nov. 27, which was replaced by a two-year plenary protective order on Dec. 18. Despite these measures, Gibbs confronted Weeks at his home, ending his life in a tragic act of violence witnessed by his young daughter, reported WGNTV.
Police reported that Weeks’ daughter told them that Gibbs shot her mother before turning the gun on himself. Weeks’ petition for the protective order details the horrific abuse she suffered during their relationship, which began in March 2019 and ended in November 2024.
In a chilling account, Weeks wrote that three days after their breakup, Gibbs pulled out a gun, forced her onto a couch, and strangled her. “The defendant (Gibbs) told me he would shoot me and watch me bleed to death,” he said. He then fired the gun, narrowly missing and forcing her to take him to several locations under threat of violence.
Despite filing a police report for domestic assault that night, the abuse continued. Gibbs was arrested on Nov. 28 for failing to register as a violent offender, but was released on parole the same day.
The protective order required Gibbs to stay 100 feet away from Weeks and prohibited the possession of firearms. However, as a convicted felon, Gibbs was already legally prohibited from possessing weapons.
Weeks’ death highlights the devastating consequences of domestic violence and the limitations of legal protections. Advocates urge anyone facing abuse to seek support, emphasizing that help is available even in the most difficult situations.