A south suburban youth football team is mourning the loss of a former player who was fatally shot Thursday night in Auburn Gresham.
The 14-year-old boy, who hasn’t been formally identified, was shot multiple times around 11:30 p.m. in the 8000 block of South Carpenter Street, Chicago police said. He was treated on scene by paramedics and was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died.
The boy was an alumnus of the Midwest Hawks youth football team, which is based in Country Club Hills, according to a statement by the team on social media.
“There are no words that can truly ease the pain of a loss like this. Today, we grieve alongside a family that has always been a part of the Hawks family,” the team said in a statement.
The boy’s stepfather coaches the team, according to the statement. He also had four brothers. His mother started a fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses.
“My baby was so full of life, loving, caring and could make a friend anywhere,” his mother wrote on the fundraiser. “All I have is memories and pictures left. I don’t have a long paragraph but I know my baby was loved.”
The team’s statement added that the boy’s mother “has given so much to our program over the years.”
“To lose a child is a pain no parent should ever have to endure,” the team’s statement continued. “As a Hawks family, we stand beside them in their grief and will continue to support them in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
“Though his life was taken far too soon, his memory will forever remain a part of the Midwest Hawks family. His smile, his presence, and the impact he made on those around him will never be forgotten.”