Ryan J. Piezonka

Ryan James Piezonka was a 31-year-old resident of Lakemoor, Illinois, remembered by his family as a beautiful, gentle, kind and loving soul. He was born on July 13, 1993, at Resurrection Hospital in Chicago. He died on March 2, 2025, after being shot near his home on Route 120 (Rand Road) in Lakemoor. He was not a public figure before his death; he became widely known because of the criminal case that followed it.

Ryan had been studying aviation and was working toward becoming a certified flight instructor (CFI). His family said he loved flying for the freedom it gave him and worked hard at his jobs to support his goal of becoming a professional pilot. He also enjoyed riding his motorcycle for a similar sense of freedom, and he was known for helping others whenever they needed a hand. His dog Sunshine (Sunny) was his constant companion. Colleagues in the transit workers' union ATU Local 1733 publicly mourned him as a member who had fought for workers' rights.

According to police and court records, Ryan was shot five times on the afternoon of March 2, 2025, in the 100 block of Rand Road, where he lived with his father, James R. Piezonka. After the shooting he managed to reach the roadway, where passing drivers stopped to help him after he told them his father had shot him. He was taken to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital and died shortly after arriving. James Piezonka was arrested at the scene and charged with first-degree murder and related counts. He had prior felony convictions and was held pending trial in McHenry County.

A funeral visitation and service were held on March 12, 2025, at Justen Funeral Home in McHenry. Ryan is survived by his mother Katrina, sisters Crystal and Jamie (Sean), uncles James and Russell (Cindy), nephew Cody and niece Chloe. He was preceded in death by his grandmother Audry J. Scott.

On September 18, 2026, after a trial in McHenry County, a jury found James Piezonka guilty of first-degree murder in Ryan's death, rejecting a defense argument that he had only meant to shoot at Ryan's motorcycle. Sentencing was set for November 24, 2026. Family members in the courtroom wept as the verdict was read, closing a case that had spanned more than a year and a half from the shooting to conviction.