Murder charges announced in fatal shooting of CPD Officer Luis Huesca

The heads of the Chicago Police Department and Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office were joined by Mayor Brandon Johnson in announcing murder charges against the man who allegedly shot and killed off-duty CPD officer Luis Huesca last month in Gage Park.

“Today, we honor (Huesca) as we hold accountable the offender who is responsible for his murder,” CPD superintendent Larry Snelling said during a Friday morning press conference at police headquarters.

Xavier Tate, 22, faces charges of first-degree murder, aggravated vehicular hijacking and possession of a stolen firearm in connection with the April 21 fatal shooting of Huesca, 30, near 56th Street and Kedzie Avenue. Tate was scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday.

Tate was taken into custody Wednesday in west suburban Glendale Heights, police said. A Chicago Police Department source said the arresting officers used Huesca’s handcuffs to arrest Tate. Authorities previously announced a combined $100,000 reward for public information leading to Tate’s arrest and conviction.

Cook County court records show Tate was arrested last March in south suburban Olympia Fields and charged with criminal trespass to a residence. That case remains pending.

Court records from Kane County, meanwhile, show Tate was arrested in February and charged with obstructing a police officer. He was also arrested in 2023 and charged with obstruction, and both those cases remain active, records show. In the last five years, Tate has been cited 10 times for alleged traffic violations in Kane County.

Huesca, a six-year veteran of CPD, was shot multiple times in the 3100 block of West 56th Street while off-duty but in uniform early on April 21. His gun and vehicle were also taken at the scene of the shooting but were later recovered.

Officers last week arrested a relative of Tate’s who allegedly had come to possess Huesca’s gun. That man, arrested in Morgan Park, now faces a charge of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, court records show.

On what would’ve been Huesca’s 31st birthday last week, the Police Department announced that the officer died in the line of duty, entitling his family to survivors’ death benefits. At his funeral Monday, Huesca was remembered as “an exceptional person with courage, bravery, humility and pride in your work.”