A summer Sunday was shattered by gunfire on July 23, 2017, ending the life of 18-year-old Anthony M. White in Chicago’s Park Manor neighborhood. The fatal shooting happened just one block from his family’s home on the city's South Side, turning a familiar street into a place of profound loss. Anthony, an African-American young man on the verge of adulthood, became another victim of the gun violence that plagued Chicago that year. In a devastating turn of events that highlights the cyclical nature of such tragedies, Anthony's younger brother, Tyshawn Johnson, would also be shot and killed more than seven years later, leaving their family to grieve an unimaginable double loss.
The attack on Anthony occurred in the middle of the day, at approximately 12:13 p.m. He was outside with a 15-year-old friend in the 7000 block of South Vernon Avenue, a residential street lined with brick homes. According to Chicago Police, they were suddenly approached by at least two individuals who opened fire. The brazen daytime ambush sent shockwaves through the community. Witnesses and police described a chaotic scene as the assailants fired and then fled.
Anthony was struck by bullets in his back and neck. In a desperate fight for his life, he managed to transport himself to the nearby St. Bernard Hospital. Despite his efforts and the work of medical staff, his injuries were too severe. Anthony was pronounced dead at 12:34 p.m., just 21 minutes after the shooting. His 15-year-old companion was also wounded, suffering what police described as a minor gunshot wound to his foot. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center and was reported to be in good condition.
The Park Manor neighborhood is a community of bungalows and apartment buildings on the South Side of Chicago. In the summer of 2017, like many parts of the city, it was grappling with a significant increase in violence. By mid-September of that year, Chicago had recorded over 500 homicides, a disturbing trend that left families and communities reeling. Anthony’s death was a stark reminder of the human cost of this ongoing crisis, where a young person’s future could be stolen in a matter of moments.
The Chicago Police Department launched a homicide investigation immediately following the shooting. Detectives began canvassing the area for evidence, seeking surveillance footage from nearby homes or businesses, and appealing to the public for witnesses to come forward. The initial reports indicated that two or more assailants were involved, but authorities did not release detailed descriptions of the shooters or publicly identify any persons of interest. A motive for the ambush was never officially established.
In the years since Anthony’s murder, his family has waited for answers that have not come. There have been no public updates regarding arrests or charges in the case, and the investigation has grown cold. In January 2025, a news report about the tragic killing of his 17-year-old brother, Tyshawn, confirmed that Anthony's 2017 murder was still unsolved. The loss of both sons to gun violence has inflicted a continuous and unbearable pain on their family.
The case of Anthony M. White is officially unresolved. The questions of who targeted the two teenagers on that summer afternoon and why they did so remain unanswered. His loved ones are left without justice or closure, grieving a young man whose life was cut short and a family that was later shattered again by a similar, senseless act of violence. The investigation remains open with the Chicago Police Department.
