Mario Cousins was a 20-year-old Chicago resident who was shot and killed on August 24, 2016, in the East Garfield Park neighborhood. His death occurred during an exceptionally violent month for the city; August 2016 saw over 400 people shot and 76 killed, and that year Chicago recorded 764 homicides. East Garfield Park is highlighted as one of the neighborhoods hardest hit by the surge in gun violence tied to gang activity and socio-economic challenges.

Cousins was registered as an organ donor, and after his death several of his organs were used in transplants, a decision his family emphasized as a way his life continued to help others. The case underscores both the human cost of the violence affecting Chicago’s west side and the ways families try to find meaning after loss.

Did anyone who knew Mario or who was in East Garfield Park on August 24, 2016 notice anything that might help shed light on what happened?