Jeremy Smith

Jeremy L. Smith, a 17-year-old Black teenager known to friends as “Jermo,” was a junior at Ombudsman Chicago South Alternative School with a passion for basketball. He could be found almost every day playing at the South Side YMCA and dreamed of becoming a professional player. His stepfather, Hashim Bailey, also saw a bright future for him in technology, noting that Jeremy was the household’s “technical support” and had been creating his own music beats since he was eight. Friends and family remembered him as a genuine and likable person who was not one to start fights.

On the evening of March 2, 2024, a large crowd of young people assembled in Chicago’s South Loop for a “teen takeover” event that had been promoted on social media. Police were already on the scene monitoring the gathering near the Southgate Market shopping mall. Jeremy’s family, including his mother Rhonda Baker and stepfather, believed he was out with friends elsewhere and did not expect him to be at the event.

Shortly after 8 p.m., shots were fired in the parking lot of a bank in the 500 block of West Roosevelt Road. Officers found two victims. Jeremy had suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy later confirmed he died from a gunshot wound to his back. A 15-year-old boy was also shot in the leg and was hospitalized in fair condition.

In the initial stages of the investigation, police recovered a weapon at the scene. A 14-year-old boy was taken into custody but was released days later without being charged in connection with the homicide. Several other teens at the gathering faced misdemeanor charges, such as disorderly conduct. As the investigation progressed, authorities later filed felony charges against a suspect for Jeremy's death.

The case is now in litigation, and the suspect is awaiting trial.