Rebecca Johnson

Rebecca Johnson is a news reporter on the Tribune’s metro desk. A University of Pittsburgh graduate, she previously worked at the Austin American-Statesman and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She welcomes story tips or coffee shop recommendations.

Jackson Leggett, 19, of Newark, stands on the porch of his home on June 11, 2026. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)

Kendall County teen who faced a felony for allegedly joking about a senior prank files federal lawsuit

June 13, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

An October 2024 conversation — which Jackson Leggett intended as a joke — completely upended his senior year.

Downed power lines, trees and debris line Broadway in Merrillville, Indiana, on June 12, 2026, after a tornado. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

‘It’s just gone’: Communities reeling after tornadoes rip through Illinois and Indiana, leveling homes

June 13, 2026 at 10:26 a.m.

Multiple tornadoes tore through Illinois and northwestern Indiana Thursday night.

Former Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the Cubs home opener against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field on April 4, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg’s kids sue his widow over alleged mishandling of trust

June 4, 2026 at 12:44 p.m.

Justin Sandberg and Lindsey Sandberg accused their stepmother of going against their father’s wishes by trying to shift control of the trust that oversees his name, image and likeness rights.

Yadira Escamilla at her church, Unity Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, in Chicago's Austin neighborhood on June 2, 2026. Escamilla alleges in a recently filed lawsuit that Aunt Martha’s Health and Wellness and A-Alert Security Services failed to protect her from repeated sexual abuse and grooming in early 2024. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

‘House of horrors’: Chicago woman alleges rampant abuse overlooked at South Side foster facility in lawsuit

June 2, 2026 at 6:06 p.m.

A Chicago woman alleges in a lawsuit that rampant abuse was overlooked at Aunt Martha's facility on the South Side.

A Ukrainian solder lights a candle as he holds cards and flowers from students during a visit to St. Nicholas Cathedral School, May 22, 2026. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)

Wounded Ukrainian soldiers run the Soldier Field 10 to remember lives lost: ‘Fighting for freedom’

May 24, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

They hope to honor both fallen U.S. and Ukrainian service members on the holiday as the war in their homeland continues.

A woman stands in a Cook County forest preserve on May 6, 2026, where she likes to walk to calm her mind. She said she was sexually assaulted in 2024 in her apartment at Niche 905 by a building’s security guard. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago woman sues luxury residential managers for not allowing her to break lease after an alleged assault

May 12, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The woman said she’s ready to speak out to spread awareness of the challenges faced by those who report they’ve been sexually assaulted.

Adrian Williams, a senior at Portage High School, with his mother, Tiffany May, in Portage, Indiana, on April 29, 2026. He was charged with a felony after officers responded to a report of a gun — which turned out to not be real — outside a Planet Fitness. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

A Portage teen faces a felony after playing ‘Senior Assassin’: What to know about the game that worries police

June 3, 2026 at 2:52 p.m.

Senior assassin, a popular tag-style game where teens hunt down their opponents with Nerf and water guns, has become tradition for many high school seniors across Chicago and the country.

Kenwood Academy High School students hold a banner reading "Workers Over Billionaires" as they lead a march of labor unions, activists groups and citizens through the West Loop during a May Day march on May 1, 2026. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

May Day unfolds across CPS with rallies, civic education and some teacher absences

May 1, 2026 at 7:28 p.m.

About 40 civic engagement field trips were approved for 2,200 students, according to Chicago Public Schools.

Melody Winston, right, senior executive of Living Fresh Market, speaks at the store during a news conference about the impact SNAP cuts will have on her business and the community on April 27, 2026, in Forest Park. Standing are Danielle Perry, vice president of policy, advocacy and community engagement at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, center, and Yolanda Wallace, owner of Yo’s Yummy’s. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

120,000 Illinoisans may lose SNAP food assistance starting Friday due to work requirements

May 1, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

New federal requirements for SNAP recipients to work or volunteer for 80 hours a month could mean 120,000 Illinois residents lose their benefits.

A police officer salutes as an ambulance transports the body of a police officer to the medical examiner's office from Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center where two officers were taken after being shot by a suspect at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital, April 25, 2026, in Chicago. One of the officers died, and the other is in critical condition, according to Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago police officer killed, another critically injured in shooting at Swedish Hospital: ‘A devastating loss’

April 25, 2026 at 9:14 p.m.

One Chicago police officer was killed and another critically injured after they were shot at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital Saturday morning by a man they brought in for treatment at...

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