Great-grandma, 81, misses daughter’s funeral after being shot following wake on South Side

An 81-year-old great-grandmother, wounded in a drive-by shooting Friday after leaving her daughter’s wake on the South Side, went home Saturday after a night in the hospital, her great-grandson said.

Iola Burress missed her daughter’s funeral Saturday. But she survived being shot four times on the porch of her home in Auburn-Gresham.

Her 34-year-old grandson, Sylvester Burress, also was wounded and has been released from the hospital, according to family members, who said they think it must have been a case of mistaken identity.

Ronnie Mosley, Iola Burress’ great-grandson, said it’s crazy that innocent people like his great-grandmother are put in danger.

“If this doesn’t call us to act and work actively towards a solution,” Mosley said, “I’m not sure anything else will.”

Family members had expected Iola Burress would need surgery, but her doctors decided it wasn’t immediately necessary, said Mosley, 23.

The shooting happened about 20 minutes after Iola Burress had returned to her home in the 7800 block of South Carpenter. Her family had been at a South Side funeral home Friday evening mourning Iola Burress’ youngest daughter, Laverne Burress ,60, who died after heart surgery.

The police said Iola Burress, who suffers from dementia, and her grandson were standing outside when they were shot by someone driving by in a sport-utility vehicle.

The elderly woman was shot in the right wrist and abdomen, and her grandson was shot shot in the hip, police said. Both were treated at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.