Xavier O. Joy, 23, was fatally shot on June 8, 2017, in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago, about a block from the University of Chicago. He was shot in a parking lot near an apartment building at 62nd and Ingleside and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A former Morehouse College student and football player, Joy had returned to his hometown to volunteer and worked in some of Chicago’s most challenging schools. His mother, Nykea Pippion-McGriff, described the family’s loss and criticized the violence that took her son’s life. The killing was said to have stemmed from an attempt to steal his cellphone.

Friends, family, and community members gathered to mourn a young man known for supporting youth and giving back. If anyone knew Xavier or has information about what happened that night, please come forward.