CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -
Twenty-three-year-old Wheaton native Megan Boken was shot to death in St. Louis Saturday, in what police believe to be an armed robbery attempt.
Authorities said Boken was sitting inside a white Volkswagen outside an apartment complex when she was killed. The shooting took place at approximately 2:20 p.m. Saturday, a couple hours before she was to play in the annual alumni volleyball match for her alma mater, St. Louis University.
"Senseless. Waste of great talent, she's a great kid and a great person... Sad and shocked," said Scott Nelson, Boken's former teacher at St. Francis High School.
According to local reports, witnesses saw a man either get out of her car, or approach her vehicle and open the door, before shooting her in the neck and chest and then running away. Boken was rushed to a nearby hospital but later pronounced dead.
St. Louis University Athletic Director Chris May knew Boken well, and said the university's volleyball team was notified of her murder after the alumni match ended. He described Boken as a standout volleyball player. She graduated SLU in 2011.
"She'll be remembered as an unbelievable teammate. She played on championship teams but she was that teammate that kept everybody together," May recalled.
Boken graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration. As a student at Wheaton St. Francis high school, Boken helped her team retain the top ranking in the Chicago area.
Monday afternoon, police released a vague description of the suspect - medium complexion, 5'8 to 5'10, thin build with short hair, last seen wearing a grey charcoal shirt, khaki pants and white tennis shoes.
"We're searching the entire neighborhood for any cameras that would record the actual crime scene and any ways the suspect could have went in the area and left area," Sgt. Roger Engelhardt with the St. Louis Police Department said.
There was initial speculation that Boken may have known her attacker, but police said they don't have any evidence of that.
In Wheaton at St. Michael Catholic Church, where Boken attended grammar school and where parishioners, family and friends will say their final farewells, Father William Vagenas says, "It's a very sad time for the town and the parish as a whole - this is never expected so it's a time of deep grieving and sorrow and it's a time for us all to come together as a community and as a faith community for prayer."
Vagenas says he met with Boken's family moments after the tragedy.
"They're grieving as any family would, they're trying to just grieve as any family would so we're respecting that and trying to help them in any way that we can and support them," said Vagenas.
The Boken family, in Wheaton, released this statement Sunday:
"Megan was a wonderful and beautiful human being loved by everyone she met. the family and the community are devastated by this senseless tragedy and the family would like to thank everyone for their outpouring of support. The initial reports that Megan knew her attacker are no longer believed to be true. The family asks that you keep Megan and them in your thoughts and prayers and respect their privacy at this time."
Crimestoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest of the person responsible for Boken's death - 1-877-371-TIPS.
Megan Boken, 23.
