Timothy Bankston, 60, was found dead from a gunshot wound to the abdomen inside a residence on the 7600 block of South Emerald Avenue in Auburn Gresham on the morning of July 29, 2026. The home belonged to a friend who discovered Bankston after returning and finding the back door ajar; family members think the shooting likely occurred the night before. Chicago police recovered a single shell casing from the basement and opened a homicide investigation.

Bankston was a well‑known figure in Chicago basketball. He was a point guard on Simeon Career Academy’s 1984 state championship team, later played at Bradley University and Loyola University Chicago, and since 2002 had been head coach at Thornton Fractional North High School in Calumet City while working as a special education teacher’s aide. He was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and was remembered for mentoring young athletes.

As of early August 2026, no arrests had been announced, and police had not publicly identified suspects or a motive. Does anyone who knew Tim or was in Auburn Gresham on July 28–29 have information that could help investigators?