Incident:2025-09-12 Franklin Park IL Killing of Silverio Villegas González
| Date | 2025-09-12 |
|---|---|
| Time | Morning |
| City | Franklin Park |
| County | Cook County |
| State | Illinois |
| Country | United States |
| Location details | Residential street near school and daycare |
| Facility | |
| Agencies involved | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) |
| Operation type | Targeted immigration enforcement / vehicle stop |
| Status | Verified (death confirmed; multiple independent media reports) |
| People affected | Silverio Villegas González (38) |
| Arrests reported | 0 |
| Detentions reported | 0 |
| Deportations | 0 |
| Injuries | ICE agent injured (severity disputed) |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Agents at the scene | Moore, Arian S.; additional agent(s) not publicly identified |
| Vehicles at the scene | |
| Verification | Verified |
| Key sources | * WBEZ Chicago
|
Summary:
On September 12, 2025, Silverio Villegas González, a 38-year-old father of two, was shot and killed by an officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during an enforcement operation in Franklin Park, Illinois.[1] ICE has acknowledged that multiple agents were involved but has not publicly identified which agent discharged the fatal shot.[2] Subsequent independent reporting and body-worn camera footage have raised substantial questions about the accuracy of ICE’s initial public account.[3]
Full description
The incident occurred in the morning as ICE agents conducted a targeted enforcement operation in a residential area of Franklin Park, shortly after Villegas González had dropped his children off at school and daycare.[1]
According to statements issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), agents attempted to detain Villegas González, who ICE claimed then moved his vehicle in a manner perceived as an imminent threat to agents, resulting in an officer firing a weapon.[4] Villegas González was struck and later pronounced dead at a hospital.[1]
Local police body-worn camera footage released after the incident shows emergency responders and law enforcement at the scene following the shooting, including Villegas González receiving medical attention on the ground prior to transport.[3] An ICE agent was also treated for injuries and released.[3]
Disputed official narrative
ICE and DHS publicly asserted that Villegas González drove his vehicle toward agents, seriously injuring an officer and creating the circumstances for the use of lethal force.[4] Independent reporting and released footage have challenged key elements of this account:
- Severity of agent injuries: While DHS initially described the officer as “seriously injured,” local police body-worn camera footage captures an agent describing his injuries as minor, including a torn pant leg, knee pain, and superficial cuts, contradicting the characterization of severe injury.[3]
- Vehicle-agent contact and sequence of events: Reporting based on police records, witness statements, and available video has raised questions about whether an agent was dragged a significant distance, as claimed, and whether gunfire may have occurred earlier in the encounter than DHS indicated.[2]
- Incomplete evidence disclosure: ICE has not released full, unedited body-worn camera footage from all agents involved, nor publicly identified the agent who discharged the fatal shot. Illinois officials and advocates have cited these omissions as preventing independent verification of ICE’s claims.[1]
Because of these discrepancies, multiple elected officials, community organizations, and journalists have stated that the official narrative remains unsubstantiated by the publicly available evidence.[2]
Agents and enforcement personnel
ICE has confirmed that more than one agent was involved in the pursuit and confrontation preceding the shooting.[2] Public reporting has identified:
- Moore, Arian S. — identified as one of the agents involved in the pursuit phase[2]
The identity of the agent who fired the fatal shot has not been publicly disclosed by ICE or DHS.[2]
Aftermath and response
The killing prompted vigils, protests, and formal requests from Illinois officials for an investigation independent of ICE and DHS.[1] Governor J.B. Pritzker and members of Illinois’s congressional delegation stated that inconsistencies between ICE’s statements and available footage warranted further scrutiny.[1]
As of this writing, no criminal charges or disciplinary actions related to the shooting have been publicly announced, and the shooter’s identity remains undisclosed.[2]
Timeline
- 2025-09-12 — ICE enforcement operation in Franklin Park; Silverio Villegas González fatally shot.[1]
- 2025-09-12 — Villegas González pronounced dead; ICE agent treated and released.[3]
- Mid-September 2025 — Local police body-worn camera footage released.[3]
- Late September 2025 — Independent reporting highlights discrepancies in DHS narrative.[2]
== References ==
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 WBEZ Chicago. “Silverio Villegas González, who was killed by ICE agents, touched the lives of so many.” [1](https://www.wbez.org/immigration/2025/09/16/silverio-villegas-gonzalez-who-was-killed-by-ice-agents-touched-the-lives-of-so-many)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Reuters. “Police records, witness accounts complicate DHS narrative in fatal ICE shooting near Chicago.” [2](https://www.reuters.com/)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 ABC7 Chicago. “Bodycam video shows police response after fatal ICE shooting in Franklin Park.” [3](https://abc7chicago.com/)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Public statement regarding Franklin Park enforcement operation, September 2025.