Michael Mekenzie, a 55-year-old African American man, was shot to death at his South Shore residence in Chicago on August 30, 2021. Just after 1:50 a.m., Mekenzie answered loud knocking at his door; a gunman forced entry, shot him multiple times, then fled. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center and pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

No suspects were immediately arrested and detectives have described the case as open. Investigators noted the forced entry and the early-morning timing, and said the attack may have been targeted, though the motive remained unclear. Friends and family remembered Mekenzie as kind and hardworking, and the community expressed shock at the killing.

Anyone with information about who knocked on Mekenzie’s door that night or about the forced entry is asked to come forward.