Kieer Pargo, a 36-year-old African American man from Chicago, IL, was tragically killed on March 27, 2021, during a botched armed robbery at a gas station on the Far South Side of Chicago. The incident occurred around 11:40 p.m. at a Citgo gas station located in the 700 block of East 103rd Street. Pargo was sitting in a parked vehicle with a friend when three male suspects approached them.
The suspects, including 20-year-old Rodney Hawkins, attempted to rob Pargo and his friend of cash, shoes, and their car. During the confrontation, Pargo shot Hawkins, but one of Hawkins' accomplices returned fire, fatally wounding Pargo. He was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Following the incident, Rodney Hawkins was charged with murder, although the gunman and the other accomplice involved in the shooting had not been charged at the time. Surveillance footage captured Hawkins and his accomplices at the gas station, which helped identify them. The footage showed Hawkins purchasing a bag of Swedish Fish before the robbery attempt. During the robbery, Pargo's friend dropped $3,000 in cash, which Hawkins took before walking the friend back to the car at gunpoint. The suspects then pulled Pargo out of the car and searched him and his friend for more valuables. As Hawkins walked back to the minivan with some of the stolen items, Pargo shot him, leading to the fatal exchange of gunfire.
The investigation into Pargo's death revealed that Hawkins' parents' home was targeted in a shooting shortly after the incident, prompting them to report the damage and the encounter at the gas station to the police. Despite the charges against Hawkins, the investigation into the involvement of the other suspects continued, with no additional arrests reported at the time. The case highlighted the ongoing issue of gun violence in Chicago and the dangers faced by residents in certain neighborhoods.
