Mishawn E Green

Mishawn E. Green was a 16-year-old Black teenager known by loved ones as a bright, funny, and protective young man who was fiercely loyal to those he loved. A resident of the Bronzeville neighborhood, Mishawn was an honor roll student finishing his freshman year at Phillips Academy High School. Family members said he was a "beautiful, intelligent and caring young man who consistently showed commitment to his school work and his future." He was considered a leader by those around him and was looking forward to starting a summer job. Friends and family also remembered him by the nicknames "Juju" and "MG."

On the afternoon of Saturday, June 17, 2017, Mishawn was with a 15-year-old friend in the Englewood neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. At approximately 4:17 p.m., they were standing in the 5500 block of South Shields when more than one person approached them and opened fire. The assailants then fled in a silver car. The shooting was one of many violent incidents that plagued Chicago, a city that continued to struggle with a high rate of gun violence.

Mishawn was struck in the head and rushed to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. His 15-year-old companion was shot in the left leg and taken to Comer Children's Hospital by his family, where his condition was stabilized. For four days, Mishawn fought for his life, but his injuries were too severe. He was pronounced dead at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 21, 2017.

The Chicago Police Department launched an investigation into the shooting, with detectives from Area South handling the case. Authorities at the time reported that the suspects approached on foot before escaping in a vehicle, but no arrests were immediately made. The case joined hundreds of other unsolved homicides in a city grappling with gun violence that disproportionately affects its youth.

In the wake of his death, Mishawn's family and community were left devastated by the loss of a young man with so much potential. A GoFundMe page was created to help his family with funeral expenses, quickly raising over a thousand dollars. The organizer described Mishawn as someone who "was taken from us far too early with so much left to give to the world." His name was later read into the Congressional Record along with other young victims of gun violence in Chicago as a plea for legislative action.

As of late 2017, no arrests had been made in connection with the murder of Mishawn Green. The investigation remains open, and the identities of the individuals who approached him and his friend that June afternoon are still unknown. His family continues to mourn a life cut tragically short, remembering a bright and caring young man who had a promising future ahead of him.