Illinois 15-year-old girl shot dead by stray bullet eating dinner at home

A 15-year-old girl was tragically killed by a stray bullet while she was eating dinner with her family in her Illinois home, authorities said.

Valeria Rodriguez was shot in the torso when the gunfire erupted outside her house in Round Lake Beach, just outside Chicago, back on July 24, ABC7 reported.

The teen — who police say was not the target of the shooting — had just sat down to dinner when the bullet tore through the dwelling at about 9 p.m.

Rodriguez, an incoming sophomore at the local Round Lake High School, was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The alleged gunman, Shorbonia Poole Jr., 19, was charged Monday with felony murder predicated on aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated discharge of a firearm.

He was nabbed immediately after the shooting for unlawful possession of a weapon after cops discovered the pistol inside his home.

The charges were upgraded after an investigation found that shell casings found outside the victim’s home matched the gun, authorities said.

“Our office continues to express our deep condolences and sympathies to the family of Valeria Rodriguez over their unimaginable loss,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said in a statement after Poole was hit with the murder charge. 

“Our victim specialists have been working closely with the family since this crime occurred.”

Meanwhile, Rodriguez was being remembered by loved ones as a “beacon of joy and tenderness” who had a bright future ahead of her, according to her obituary.

“Valeria’s youthful exuberance and loving spirit quickly became the heartbeat of her family and community,” the obit said, adding that her “life was a mosaic of love, laughter, and kindness.”

“Her spirit, a radiant flame of love and kindness, will continue to inspire those who were fortunate enough to know her. Valeria’s memory will be cherished and kept alive in the stories, laughter, and love she left behind.”