Oscar Enrique Bravo

A family is left searching for answers after their loving son, brother, and uncle was killed in a brazen daytime shooting in Chicago’s Gage Park neighborhood. Oscar Enrique Bravo, a 25-year-old Hispanic man, was remembered by his loved ones as an intelligent and kind person with a bright future ahead of him. "He was a very smart kid, he had a lot to live for," his family wrote in a tribute on a fundraising page. "He was a very loving son, brother, uncle, friend. Oscar always did a lot of good things for others."

The fatal attack occurred just before 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24, 2017. Oscar was standing on the sidewalk in the 2600 block of West 54th Street, a residential area on the Southwest Side, only about five blocks from his home on South Western Avenue. According to Chicago Police, a red minivan pulled up and the driver exited the vehicle. The man fired three shots directly at Oscar before getting back in the van and speeding away from the scene.

The gunshots struck Oscar in his upper right back and left hip. Paramedics arrived quickly and transported him to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was admitted in critical condition. For three days, Oscar fought for his life, but his injuries were too severe to overcome. He was pronounced dead at 2:23 p.m. on Saturday, May 27, 2017, as the city headed into the Memorial Day weekend. His death was one of at least a dozen homicides that took place in Chicago over that holiday weekend, a time that has historically seen a surge in gun violence.

The Gage Park neighborhood where Oscar was shot is a predominantly Hispanic community on the city's Southwest Side. While it is a community of families, parks, and schools, it has also contended with the persistent issue of street violence that affects many parts of Chicago. The shooting happened in the middle of the day on a public sidewalk, a stark illustration of the boldness of assailants in the city.

The investigation into Oscar’s murder was handled by the Chicago Police Department. In the initial days, authorities confirmed the circumstances of the ambush-style shooting but did not release a detailed description of the gunman, other than that he was the driver of the red minivan. Law enforcement did not publicly announce a motive for the attack, leaving his family and community to wonder why he was targeted.

In the wake of their devastating loss, Oscar's family created a GoFundMe page to help with the unexpected funeral expenses. It was there that they shared their profound grief and cherished memories of him. Their tribute painted a portrait of a young man deeply connected to his family who will be "dearly missed from all his love ones, that really cared for him.”

As of June 2017, the most recent update available, no arrests had been made in connection with the murder of Oscar Enrique Bravo. Police had not publicly identified any suspects or persons of interest in the case. With no new information released, his homicide remains unsolved, joining a painful list of open cases in Chicago that leave families waiting indefinitely for justice and closure.