Devonta D. Grisson was 19 when he was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting on January 1, 2013, in the Gage Park neighborhood on Chicago’s Southwest Side. The shooting occurred in an alley, and his death was one of many that contributed to a surge in violence around that time: 2012 closed with 506 homicides in the city, a 16% increase from the previous year, and the spike in gun violence continued into early 2013.

Devonta’s killing is presented as part of broader problems in the area, including entrenched gang conflicts, socio-economic disparities, and limited intervention programs cited as factors in the spike in youth and community violence. Family and community members remembered him during the aftermath.

Does anyone have information about that January 1, 2013 drive-by in Gage Park or knew Devonta?