Xavier S. Thornton was 23 when he was fatally shot on December 29, 2015, in the Burnside neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. His death occurred during 2015, a year that saw a large spike in gun violence across the city, with over 490 homicides that year. Thornton’s killing is presented as part of a broader pattern of young men lost to gun violence in neighborhoods long affected by crime, socio-economic challenges, and limited community resources.

Family, friends, and community members held memorial events to remember his personality and the future he did not get to live. What details about that night or about Xavier’s life could help piece together what happened or who has information to share?