Quinton Hendricks

Quinton Hendricks, a 30-year-old Black man remembered for his good nature and ability to make people laugh, was a devoted father of four. His mother, Latoya Smith, recalled him as a man who believed there was nothing he couldn't do. Growing up, he was the playful and active oldest brother to three younger siblings. As a child, he was a member of the Jesse White tumbling team and also enjoyed dancing and music. Most of all, he loved his children, three girls and a boy who were between the ages of 6 and 10 at the time of his death.

The attack that would ultimately take Quinton's life happened just before 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 22, 2023. He was standing outside on the 13000 block of South King Drive in Chicago’s West Pullman neighborhood on the Far South Side. According to Chicago police, someone inside a parked car with four occupants opened fire, striking Quinton before the vehicle fled the scene. His mother later heard the shooting may have been a "robbery gone wrong." Quinton suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including to his head and hip. He was rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition.

Quinton's family was not notified by authorities. His mother, Latoya Smith, learned her son had been shot from one of his friends. "Next thing I know, I get on Facebook, I’m seeing pictures of my son laying on the ground and an officer trying to resuscitate him," she said. Smith and her sister frantically called area hospitals trying to locate him. After finally learning where he was, they were made to wait outside the hospital and were not permitted to see him until after 9 p.m., about 10 hours after the shooting. Smith described the entire experience as a "very, very horrible ordeal."

For nearly two weeks, Quinton fought for his life in the hospital. On September 4, 2023, he succumbed to his injuries. The Cook County medical examiner’s office officially ruled his death a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds. The investigation into the shooting was handled by Chicago police detectives.

In the weeks that followed, Quinton's mother expressed deep frustration over the lack of communication from the police. "They have not been telling me anything," Smith said in an interview. "They didn’t even come and tell me that my son was shot... Police, right to this day, have yet to call me. I’ve been calling them." She was left with agonizing questions about why her son was killed and why an arrest had not been made.

As of late September 2023, the investigation was ongoing. While Smith had heard from friends and acquaintances that police had identified a suspect but had not located him, the Chicago Police Department would not confirm this information. Authorities stated that no one was in custody and that area detectives were continuing to investigate the fatal shooting. The case remains unsolved, leaving a grieving family searching for answers and justice for a man who was taken from them far too soon.