On the morning of December 9, 2019, at about 8:40 a.m., 31-year-old Alton D. Ellis was shot while walking with his 18-month-old son in the 6200 block of South Mozart Street in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. Ellis returned fire and struck the attacker in both thighs. Both men later died of their wounds; Ellis was pronounced dead at Holy Cross Hospital. The toddler was reportedly uninjured.

Initial reports suggested the child had run for help after the shooting, but investigators later noted a 23-year-old woman in a nearby apartment heard the gunfire and found Ellis outside with gunshot wounds. The motive remains unknown and police said Ellis appeared to have been targeted for unknown reasons. Area Central detectives opened a homicide investigation; no arrests or additional suspects have been announced.

Did anyone in the neighborhood see what happened that morning or know why Ellis might have been targeted?