United States and state flags on the University campus and other public buildings will be flown at half-staff until April 29 in honor of Luis Huesca, a 30-year-old officer of the Chicago Police Department who died on Sunday.
According to a press release from the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, Huesca “tragically died in the line of duty on Sunday, April 21, 2024, as he was returning home from a shift in Gage Park.”
The announcement of lowering the flags came yesterday when Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered all flags falling under the Illinois Flag Display Act — an act that requires United States flags be placed in schools and other public buildings — to fly at half-staff from sunrise on April 24 to sunset on April 29.
In a Facebook post earlier this week, Pritzker mourned Huesca’s death.
“A terrible loss as we cope with the death of Officer Luis M. Huesca, who was just two days shy of his 31st birthday,” Pritzker said. “Thinking of his family and fellow officers as we mourn the passing of a dedicated officer.”
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During a news conference Sunday morning, the Chicago Police stated that Huesca died by gunfire. However, at the moment, little is known about the circumstances surrounding Huesca’s death.
