Angel Alvarez

Angel Alvarez, a 20-year-old Hispanic man, was a resident of Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, living on the 1700 block of West Augusta Boulevard. In the summer of 2009, his life was cut short in an act of gun violence that contributed to a particularly deadly string of days in the city. Three years after his death, a memorial with candles was lit on the sidewalk where he was shot, a testament to a life remembered by those who knew him. A photo from this memorial noted that the sidewalk remained blood-stained and mentioned he was a member of the "Nuetron" gang.

The attack on Angel occurred at approximately 11:00 p.m. on the night of Wednesday, July 15, 2009. He was on a sidewalk in the 1100 block of North Wood Street, in the Pulaski Park area of the West Town community, when he was shot in the head. The shooting was part of a wave of violence that swept across Chicago that night and into the next morning, which, in total, left four people dead and at least six others wounded in separate incidents.

After being shot, Angel was rushed to Stroger Hospital. He fought for his life for more than fourteen hours before being pronounced dead at 1:14 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, 2009. The Cook County medical examiner’s office confirmed his identity and the cause of death as a gunshot wound. His death was one of several homicides that detectives across the city began investigating that Thursday.

The Chicago Police Department handled the initial response and subsequent homicide investigation. The incident was logged as occurring on a sidewalk, and the weapon type was a firearm. However, in the years following Angel's murder, authorities have not publicly released information regarding any potential suspects, persons of interest, or motives in the case. No arrests have been announced, and the investigation into who shot and killed Angel Alvarez remains open and unsolved.

The night Angel was shot was marked by a series of other violent crimes throughout Chicago, stretching from Logan Square to Englewood. The victims included a 17-year-old shot by an offender on a bicycle, a 29-year-old man killed in a vehicle, and another 17-year-old who was shot while standing with someone when a car approached and fired shots. This context highlights the violent environment in which Angel's life was tragically taken.

As of July 2012, a memorial was still being held for Angel at the site of his shooting, indicating a lasting impact on his community and loved ones. Despite the passage of time, his case has not seen a public resolution. The investigation into the murder of Angel Alvarez is ongoing, and there is no information available regarding any rewards for information leading to an arrest.