Brandon Slater, 26, was fatally shot on May 7, 2022, in Chicago’s West Pullman neighborhood as he left his mother’s house about 2:45 p.m. He had just picked up a cake for a Mother’s Day celebration when an unknown assailant exited a vehicle and fired, striking Slater multiple times. A 27-year-old friend was wounded with a gunshot to the leg.

The shooting also killed 64-year-old gardener Larry Purnell, who was mowing the lawn for the celebration. Police have not determined a motive; initial reports indicate the shooter fired directly at Slater. No arrests have been announced and the investigation remains open.

Slater, known as Benji, was an aspiring rapper and is survived by his young son; his mother, Diane Archer, had lost another son to gun violence five months earlier. Community members and anti-violence advocates have raised alarm about rising shootings in the city.

If anyone has information about what happened that afternoon or remembers seeing a vehicle or persons leaving the area, please come forward.