Miguel “Silky” Ford was shot to death Wednesday afternoon in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side.
Miguel Ford | Facebook
Ford, whose “whole life was football,” had played for Romeoville High School and had a full-ride scholarship to play for Robert Morris University, where he was a running back, his friend Hayley Malone said.
The 21-year-old Ford was sitting in his vehicle about 2:15 p.m. in the 6600 block of South Paulina when another male walked up and pulled out a gun, police said.
Ford tried to drive away as the shooter fired and he was struck in the back. His vehicle then crashed into a tree and overturned.
He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 2:44 p.m., police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. Ford’s residence was listed as southwest suburban Romeoville.
A 17-year-old boy who was also in the vehicle at the time was taken to Christ Medical Center with minor injuries related to the crash, police said.
“He didn’t deserve to go so soon,” one of Ford’s close friends said. “He always put others before himself and took care of his loved ones.”
Miguel Ford | Facebook
Ford lived in Romeoville with his father and younger brother and sister, Malone said.
“The whole town is devastated,” Malone said about Romeoville, where Ford had lived with his dad and attended high school.
“The whole class of 2014, we were a family. So everyone’s really coming together,” Malone said.
A friend has set up a fundraiser page for Miguel’s family.
—Chicago Sun-Times Wire