Crystal Salter, inspired by the birth of her daughter, Juliana, spent the last several years of her life helping others climb out of the same drug-fueled position she once found herself in.But her life ended abruptly and violently early Sunday.That's when, police and relatives say, she was fatally s hot by her boyfriend — in front of 7-year-old Juliana and Legacy, her 7-year-old foster daughter she took in earlier this year. A couple of hours later, Salter's boyfriend was found dead in his vehicle with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his mouth, police said. "It's unfortunate for her to lose her life to gun violence, for her to lose her life to a person she loved and adored so much," Regina Salter, Crystal Salter's younger sister, said. "It's sad we lost her like this." Crystal Salter, 42, was in bed with the two children at her home in the 2100 block of West Jackson Boulevard when she was shot multiple times in the torso and face, police said. She was taken to Stroger Hospital where she was pronounced dead, officials said.Juliana, now under her aunt's care, has struggled since her mother's murder."Can I see my mommy? I want to see my mommy. I want to go home," Juliana will plead, Regina Salter said."I just have to go in one room and cry, or go out on the back porch and cry because there's no love like a mother's love," Regina Salter said. "You can't fill the void of a child's mother." Crystal Salter spent part of her life addicted to drugs but the birth of her daughter inspired her to turn her life around, her family says. Provided ‘He had a mask on his face’ Crystal Salter met her boyfriend at a South Side gas station last December and he "worshiped the ground she walked on," Regina Salter said. Issues in the relationship, potentially including Crystal Salter taking in Legacy after her mother checked out of a women's treatment center and disappeared, led Salter to give her boyfriend until the end of August to move out of her apartment, according to her sister. But Regina Salter never got any inclination that the 49-year-old man, who hasn’t yet been identified by the Cook County medical examiner's office, was capable of such violence. "He didn't come off as a person who would fight women or potentially would kill a woman," Regina Salter said. "We were all shocked." Five shell casings were found in the bathroom of the apartment and a large pool of blood was found on a bed, according to a police report obtained by the Sun-Times. In the vehicle where the man was found, officers discovered a Smith Wesson revolver with four live rounds and a fired shell casing and four additional shell casings on the floorboard of the front passenger area. "The first sign that you see from a man, it's time to leave. Don't be afraid to reach out to some family or someone close and tell them what's going on," Regina Salter said. "The man that took my sister's life, he wore masks. He had a mask on his face. We didn't know he was like that."Overcoming addiction to help others in a similar situation Crystal Salter was molested and raped in her early 20s and the trauma led her to become heavily addicted to drugs for roughly a decade, according to her sister. Relatives didn’t know whether they'd lose her to her addiction. "We would go see her and go drop her off food and go try and give her money and try to help her get better and get clean, but she didn't," Regina Salter said. "She just wouldn't get help."But when she became pregnant with Juliana, Crystal Salter became inspired to get herself off drugs and start a new path forward. "It changed Crystal's life for the better, and she got help. She recovered fast, and it made her want to be a voice for others," Regina Salter said. "That's what she's been doing for the last eight years of her life."During one trip to Aldi, Crystal Salter saw a woman at a bus stop without shoes and demanded her sister pull over so she could give the woman the shoes off of her feet, family recalls. She walked around in socks until she bought a pair of shoes at Aldi. "She always felt that God gave her a second chance by giving her Juliana, and that's all she would talk about," Regina Salter said. Crystal (left) and Regina Salter had a strong sisterhood. Regina recalls Crystal helping her tie her shoes when they were young, and the sisters — the two youngest of 10 children — grew closer as they got older. Provided Crystal Salter was never shy about sharing the more turbulent parts of her life with other in hopes of being an inspiration to those in similar circumstances.Regina Salter used to advise against her sister sharing certain details about her life, but Crystal Salter stressed it was "her story to tell" and she wanted others to see "there are rainbows after the rain and you can get help and recover."Crystal Salter was called a spiritual "beam of joy" involved with her church who also loved barbecue and had dreams of opening a women's shelter to help women and children in need. Even after losing her mother to heart failure — her mom never knew she got clean — Crystal Salter stayed devoted to her improved lifestyle. "She always was out there helping the community," Regina Salter said. "We were all just so proud of Crystal."Making ends meet to provide stability for a child in need Last April, Crystal Salter was driving on the West Side when she spotted a woman she was once in a treatment center with sitting in an alley with her child. She offered the woman and 7-year-old girl, Legacy, a place in her apartment before the woman checked herself into a treatment center and left hours later, Regina Salter said. After failed attempts to reach Legacy's mother, Crystal Salter gained custody of Legacy days later and used money she saved and the income from work as a call center operator for SCR Transportation, a company that subcontracts to Pace, to provide schooling and stability for Legacy. "That kind of position requires patience and kindness while working with vulnerable communities," according to Pace spokesperson Maggie Daly Skogsbakken. Said Kristin Persu, a co-worker of Crystal Salter at SCR Transportation: “Crystal was a wonderful team member and we are deeply saddened to learn of her passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during this difficult time.”"She just loved being a mother," Regina Salter said. "So I'm thinking she seen Legacy needed some love, she needed to be in a stable household, she needed to probably get in school because Legacy had been living out on the streets with her mom." From left: Legacy Weir, Crystal Salter and Juliana Salter. Provided Legacy was enrolled in the same classroom as Juliana and the two formed a tight-knit bond almost immediately. Crystal Salter saw the opportunity as a blessing. "God has really answered my prayers," she wrote on Facebook around the time she took Legacy in. "I am truly honored to have two little amazing girls in my life."After the fatal shooting, Juliana is in the care of her aunt, while Legacy is with an uncle in Milwaukee. The uncle couldn’t immediately be reached by a Sun-Times reporter. Regina Salter hopes the two girls can continue to be in each other's lives. The two have talked over FaceTime and may see each other again in person at Crystal Salter's funeral next week. "She wants to see her sister," Regina said of her niece. "Juliana didn't have any more siblings, so when Crystal took on Legacy, I'm sure that made her pretty happy." Juliana Salter (left) and Legacy Weir embrace. Both girls were enrolled in the same school and classroom. Provided Crystal Salter grew up in Parkway Gardens, also known as O-Block, and used the difficulties of living in the area to fuel her motivation to provide stability for herself, Juliana and Legacy. Making her own income and providing for Juliana and Legacy gave Crystal Salter the "spark to keep going," her sister noted. "I truly believe it was a struggle for her, but she made it happen. She made her way out of no way," Regina Salter said. "That's what made her a role model to each and every one of us." ...read more read less