An investigation is underway after a woman was shot to death in front of her son as they sat in a car in the drive-thru lane at a Dunkin' Donuts in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania.
On Tuesday afternoon, officials identified the victim as Rachel King, 35, of Elkins Park.
According to police, the incident happened around 7:40 a.m. at a Dunkin' Donuts located near Front Street at Cheltenham Avenue in the Melrose Shopping Center.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
Officers responding to the shooting found King dead from gunshot wounds in the driver's seat of a black Ford Edge, according to investigators.
King's 11--year-old son was in the backseat of the vehicle at the time of the shooting and was not injured, officials told NBC10's Deanna Durante.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Early Tuesday, a single bullet hole could be seen in a black SUV in that drive-thru lane.
Investigators said a light-colored sedan, possibly a Ford or Mercury, was seen driving directly behind King's vehicle prior to the shooting and then parking a short distance away. Investigators later released a surveillance photo of that vehicle.
Officials said a man got out of the sedan, walked to the driver's side of King's vehicle and shot multiple times into the driver's side window.
Police describe the gunman as a Black male with a thin build, who was wearing light-colored pants and a dark-colored, hooded sweatshirt with the hood up covering his head at the time of the shooting.
Investigators said the gunman didn't attempt to open the car door nor did he appear to communicate with her prior to opening fire.
"This appears to be a targeted murder of a mother," Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said in a statement. “Anyone with information about this vehicle or the driver is asked to call police and help us find whoever committed this heinous murder.”
Officials are asking anyone who may have information regarding the vehicle involved in this murder or the gunman to contact the Cheltenham Township Police Department at 215-885-1600 (extension 400) or Montgomery County Detectives at 610-226-5553.
Tips can also be called into the Montco Detective Tip Line at 610-278-DOIT (3648).
King was a teacher at Mastery Charter Schools' Grover Cleveland Elementary.
"We send our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. We are devastated by the loss of an extraordinary teacher, who spent the last 10 years working with our students and their families," a Mastery Charter spokesperson wrote. "Tomorrow, Cleveland Elementary School will have a 2-hour delayed opening and social workers and counselors will continue to be available for those seeking additional support as we grieve the loss of another member of our Mastery community."
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
