James W. Garrett was 18 when he was fatally shot on October 6, 2018, during an outdoor memorial gathering in the 13200 block of South Prairie Avenue on Chicago’s Far South Side. Garrett was struck in the body and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 8:55 p.m.

Two other people were wounded: a 48-year-old man who survived after treatment, and a 20-year-old woman who suffered an arm wound and was treated at the University of Chicago Medical Center and stabilized. Area South detectives handled the investigation and were seeking witnesses, but efforts were hampered by a lack of cooperation and difficulty collecting concrete evidence.

The case underlines the impact of gun violence on young people in the community and prompted calls for greater engagement and support for at-risk youth. If anyone who attended that gathering or has information about the shooting can help investigators, please come forward.