Jamari Richmond was playing basketball in the street in front of his home in Englewood on Mother’s Day when two vehicles passed by and someone started shooting.
The 18-year-old senior at Robeson High School died about 2 1/2 hours after one of those bullets struck him in the head, according to Chicago Police.
A GoFundMe page set up to help the family gave this account: “He was killed by gunfire on Mother’s Day in front of his home in Englewood, while playing basketball with his older brother. He took his last breaths in my sister’s arms. We can’t take away the unimaginable pain his mother is feeling…”
It was about 2:43 p.m. when Richmond was playing on a curbside basket in the 7300 block of South Union Avenue, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
The shots were fired from one of two vehicles driving north. Richmond suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 5:06 p.m., authorities said.
Richmond, who would have graduated in a few weeks, posted this on Facebook about an hour before he was shot: “Happy Mothers Day ❤️😩 You A True One ☝️🌸”
The GoFundMe page author wrote: “Jamari once said, ‘I’m just living the hand I’ve been dealt.’ He was a kid trying to fit in but he never harmed anyone.”
—Chicago Sun-Times Wire