BY EMILY BROSIOUS AND ANGELIQUE WHITE
Homicide Watch Chicago
As a child, Kashif Tillis‘ love of western movies earned him the nickname “Chiefy,” his mother said.
Tillis, 29, was fatally shot as he sat in his mother’s car in the 7200 block of South Morgan Street about 4 p.m. Aug. 5, authorities and family said.
Tillis was taking his 3-year-old son to get a haircut when the gunfire erupted, said his mother, Debbie Tillis. Police said a black car pulled up and somebody inside opened fire.
Debbie Tillis said the young boy witnessed the shooting, which she believes is a case of mistaken identity.
“No one was looking for him, no one had problems with him,” Debbie Tillis said.
“It was senseless. It wasn’t for him. No mother should have to go through this … Maybe they should bring in the National Guard, I don’t know, do something.”
Kashif Tillis had a close relationship with his family and lived with his mother in her house in the 7000 block of South Paulina Street the past 23 years, she said. He also helped cared for his grandparents with Alzheimer’s disease.
As a longtime West Englewood resident, Kashif Tillis attended Harper High School and was well known in the neighborhood, his mother said.
Kashif Tillis did not attend college because he thought it was too expensive, she said. Instead, he took classes so he could do electrician and heating work.
Debbie Tillis described her son as entrepreneurial and said he had dreams of owning his own trucking company. He wanted to take care of his three children, ages 3, 6 and 10, his mother said.
In addition to caring for his children, Kashif Tillis tried to help area residents in need of money by paying them to cut the the grass, his mother said.
Nobody has been charged for the murder. Area Central detectives are investigating.