Jquinn Mccune

Jquinn Mccune was a friendly, generous, and good-spirited man, remembered by those who knew him for his constant happiness and sweetness. The 30-year-old African-American man, originally from Flint, Michigan, worked as the manager of a Family Dollar store in Chicago’s Gresham neighborhood. Customers described him as an amazing person who was always nice. One regular shopper, Latasha Washington, recalled how Mccune had given her a pair of prescription glasses just two weeks before his death after learning hers had broken. "I don’t understand why the good ones have to go," she said. "I’m really gonna miss coming in here and seeing him."

On the evening of Tuesday, July 5, 2016, Mccune was working at the store in the 7900 block of South Ashland Avenue. Around 5 p.m., he noticed a man who seemed suspicious and apparently confronted him about shoplifting. A witness, Angelica Chancellor, was walking into the store when she saw the confrontation. The man was holding a bag of chips and had a gun. According to Chancellor, as Mccune tried to stop him from stealing, the suspect said he wasn't going to jail over it. He then turned and shot Mccune in the chest at close range.

The gunman fled the store immediately after the shooting. A customer who was inside heard what sounded like three firecrackers. She said Mccune ran past her, grabbed her arm, and fell, saying, "I've been shot." The customer and another woman rushed to help, applying pressure to the wound on his chest until paramedics arrived. Mccune was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead. One witness lamented the senselessness of the violence, saying, "For that man to die over a bag of chips is sad. It’s pathetic." Another customer remarked, "He shouldn't have to risk his life trying to save that merchandise. I understand that was his job but his life wasn't worth that."

The Chicago Police Department launched a homicide investigation, with Area South detectives leading the case. Investigators released surveillance images showing two suspects they believed were involved. Police described them as Black men in their 20s, between 5-foot-8 and 6-foot-1, and weighing 150 to 175 pounds. A distinctive detail noted by police was that in both incidents, the gunman had white cloth or gauze covering his left eye.

Detectives quickly linked the suspects to another crime. They announced that the same men were wanted for an armed robbery that occurred on June 15 at a store in the 7300 block of South Ashland, just a few blocks away in the Englewood neighborhood. Investigators also looked into whether the men were connected to a string of other robberies at Family Dollar stores on the South Side.

In the weeks following the murder, community leaders and activists joined the call for justice. They announced a $6,000 reward for any information that would lead to an arrest in Mccune's killing. Father Michael Pfleger, a prominent local activist, urged the public to come forward. "When you don't say anything and you know something, you put everybody else's life at risk too," he said at a news conference. "That person does not shoot just one time, they keep shooting and they keep killing."

Despite the release of surveillance photos and the offer of a reward, the case has grown cold. As of July 2016, no arrests have been announced, and the two suspects remain at large. The investigation into the murder of Jquinn Mccune is ongoing. Anyone with information about the suspects or the shooting is asked to contact Area South detectives at (312) 747-8273.