Days after the fatal shooting at the downtown Nordstrom, Chicago Police have released details that the 22 year-old woman gunned on Black Friday had previously complained to police about the ex-boyfriend who shot her.
Police report that only a week ago the victim, Nadia Ezaldein, who was a student at the University of Chicago, went to law enforcement with a domestic violence complaint. Officials will not comment specifically on the incident but we know Ezaldein never personally sought assistance from the court system. There is no record of her petitioning the court for a no-contact order or an order of protection against her ex-boyfriend, the shooter, Marcus Dee, who turned the gun on himself.
There is speculation that Ezaldein may have feared taking legal action because the shooter’s parents are both law enforcement officials. Ezaldein’s sister, however, was not reluctant to seek a no-contact order on her own behalf against Dee. According to Ezaldein’s sister, Dee had threatened her safety.
Although Ezaldein’s sister allegedly presented to the court police reports that indicated that Dee had cracked her sister’s ribs, broke her jaw, ripped her clothes, bruised her lip, threw her clothing out the window, and put a gun in her mouth the no-contact order was denied by Judge Caroline Moreland. The sister, according to the judge, had not presented enough evidence to support a no-contact order related to her.
For Nadia Ezaldein to received legal protections she personally would have needed to appear in court, not her sister. Fear of retaliation (if that was the case) is not uncommon. There are measures one’s attorney can take to prevent against that possibility. In a confidential discussion, your lawyer can lay out all of the options available and help you chose the most effective course of action.