The medical examiner has identified a 16-year-old Waukegan boy who was fatally shot near a park in Chicago as his family remembers him for his “kindness, generosity and unwavering spirit.”
The Chicago Police Department said they responded to a report of a person shot around 11:22 p.m. Friday in the 2400 block of South Trumbull Avenue in the Little Village neighborhood.
Officers arrived and found a 16-year-old boy who was outside on the ground.
Police said he suffered a gunshot wound to the lower back and the Chicago Fire Department responded to the scene.
Paramedics rushed the boy to Mt. Sinai Hospital where he was listed in critical condition.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said the teenager died in the hospital from his injuries a short time later.
A witness told investigators they saw multiple males fleeing the scene after the shooting. Officials said the incident happened near Limas Park.
The medical examiner’s office said an autopsy performed showed the victim died as a result of a gunshot wound to the torso and his death was ruled a homicide.
The medical examiner’s office on Wednesday identified the victim as Jesus H. Padilla Romero Jr., 16, of Waukegan.
Police said no one was in custody and Area Four detectives were investigating the case.
Waukegan resident Tatiana Gatica said Romero Jr. was “taken away from us too early” after he went to Chicago with his two friends to get a haircut and never returned home that night.
“Throughout his life, he touched the hearts of his family and close friends with his kindness, generosity and unwavering spirit,” Gatica said.
Gatica said Romero Jr. showed interest in becoming a police officer when he was younger. His dream later changed to follow his father’s path and take over his construction company.
“He had the longing to be the provider of his family, to see them proud of him. One of his favorite activities was going out with his family, playing video games, annoying his sisters, eating his mother’s food all day, and spending time with his father,” Gatica said.
“He always had a way to make his family and close friends feel welcome. His laughter was contagious, and his perspective on life was a guiding light for many,” she added.
A GoFundMe account to raise funds for the teenager’s family has raised over $1,000.