Manuel J Hernandez was 30 when he was killed by gun violence on September 21, 2017, in Chicago’s Gage Park neighborhood. The case is one of many homicides that year in the city, a period marked by high levels of gun violence and community strain.

Gage Park is described as an area affected by gang activity, poverty, and limited resources, and Hernandez’s death prompted family members to set up a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs. The loss underscores both the personal toll on the family and the broader challenges neighborhoods like Gage Park continued to face in 2017.