Mourners had a clear message Thursday morning as they conducted a peace walk for slain Tilden High School honor student Pedro Ramirez: His life mattered, and he deserves justice.
Over 40 Tilden students, staff, violence prevention activists and family members walked from the high school at 4747 S. Union Ave. to Pedro’s vigil on 51st and Throop streets in the Back of the Yards. They chanted phrases like “his life matters, all lives matter” and “pledge peace for Pedro.”
Eloisa Garcia, who considered herself Pedro’s “second mother,” called the outpouring of support “overwhelming.”
“He made an impact. We didn’t know how big it was, but now we see it,” Garcia said as Ramirez’s peers held balloons, flowers and posters of him near his vigil.
Garcia also asked for justice and called on elected officials to push harder for an arrest in Pedro’s case.
“He was just walking to school. No family should have to wonder if my kid is going to make it home today from school,” Garcia said.
Pedro was walking to school around 7:40 a.m. May 26 in the 5000 block of South Throop Street when four masked assailants jumped out of a Jeep and fired toward a red minivan, according to Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
The 17-year-old was struck by stray gunfire and died less than an hour later, authorities said. A person who was taken into custody after the fatal shooting was released without charges.
Some classmates wore Tilden volleyball and soccer gear to commemorate Pedro’s involvement on the teams. Others wore white shirts bearing his picture as mourners shared stories about Pedro’s impact.
“He was the type of friend who would listen when you needed someone, who would support you when you were struggling, and who can make you laugh even on your worst day,” said 18-year-old Samanta Hernandez, the lead organizer of the peace walk. “I am grateful for all the videos, pictures, and moments we share throughout high school, because they allow me to keep a piece of you with me every day.
“I promise to keep sharing your story, and I know there are so many people here today who will do the same,” Hernandez said.
Pedro’s influence at Tilden went beyond his peers. He also left his mark on his teachers and coaches.
“He had fun. He was kind. He was courageous. He was a leader; he was everything you would want from a son,” said Carlos Delcid, one of Pedro’s teachers and volleyball coaches. “If my son grows up to be just like him, I will be the happiest, proudest father there could be.”
Crystle Saylor, another teacher and volleyball coach who taught Pedro, said his death has deeply affected the Back of the Yards community.
“At some point we have to stop pretending this is normal. Chicago is hurting, our communities are hurting, our children are carrying grief too far young and far too often,” Saylor said. Pedro “should be planning for his future, walking the halls of Tilden with that same energy that made everyone gravitate toward him.
“Instead, another family buried a son, and another group of teenagers is learning what it means to lose someone too soon.”
