David Phillips was 17 when he was shot to death on February 22, 2020, in Chicago’s Grand Crossing neighborhood. Officers responded about 9:50 p.m. to a ShotSpotter alert in the 1300 block of East 78th Street and found Phillips on the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center and pronounced dead; an autopsy the next day confirmed the cause of death as gunshot wounds and the death was ruled a homicide.

Area South detectives are handling the investigation, but the circumstances that led to the shooting remain unclear. No suspects have been arrested and authorities report a lack of witnesses and concrete leads, which has stalled progress. The killing deeply affected Phillips’ family and the local community, which has called for greater efforts to address gun violence in the area.

If anyone has information about what happened that night or saw activity near East 78th Street around 9:50 p.m., please come forward to assist investigators.