An 80-year-old man, James Stroud Sr., was killed in a drive-by shooting the morning of January 29, 2025, in the 1400 block of West 90th Street in the Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago. The shooting happened about 10:00 a.m. while Stroud Sr. was sitting in his burgundy SUV; witnesses heard five gunshots and saw him slumped inside after a vehicle pulled up beside him and a gunman fired multiple rounds, striking him in the head and back. His driver’s side window was riddled with bullet holes. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center and pronounced dead.

Stroud Sr. was a retired tow truck driver who had recently left the profession. His family described him as kind and hardworking; his son, James Stroud Jr., said he had spoken to his father the night before and that the elder Stroud did not live in the neighborhood and had planned to visit a bank that morning to withdraw money and pay bills. Police say no suspects are in custody and Area Two detectives are investigating. Scanner audio suggested the suspect vehicle might have been a black Mitsubishi sedan with tinted windows, though other reports indicated a GMC.

Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators or use the department’s anonymous tip system.