Emmanuel Fleming, 34, was gunned down on August 13, 2017, outside Friendship Baptist Church in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago as he was about to enter the building with his children. Two gunmen wearing bandanas opened fire; witnesses say Fleming cried for his children to take cover and that he and 46-year-old Michael Swift tried to hide behind a nearby retaining wall before both were fatally shot.

Fleming had been wounded and was a witness in a July 2016 fatal shooting that killed Artivis Gladney, 18. The suspect in that 2016 case, described as a reputed gang member, had been released on bail multiple times before trial. Chicago police are investigating whether Fleming’s killing was intended to silence him, but investigators had not established a definitive link between the two shootings.

The killing highlighted concerns about witness safety in criminal cases and the challenges authorities face protecting witnesses. Anyone with information about the August 13, 2017 shooting is asked to come forward.