Roderick James Jr., a 19-year-old African American male, was fatally shot on December 6, 2020, in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood of Chicago, IL. The incident occurred in the 5100 block of West Melrose Street, where he was found unresponsive in a vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the authorities.
The tragic event unfolded when Quincy Cole, a 27-year-old man, attempted to shoot another driver while driving his car.
Cole, who was on bail for a pending felony arson case, unintentionally shot Roderick James Jr., who was seated in the back seat of Cole's car. The shooting occurred near the intersection of Bloomington and Laramie, where another driver, a 68-year-old man, reported seeing a gun pointed at his head from Cole's car. The driver ducked, and multiple bullets struck his car before Cole sped away.
Following the shooting, one of Cole's passengers called 911 to report shots fired near Belmont and Leclaire. Witnesses, including an off-duty firefighter, saw four men running from Cole's car at that location. Police found Roderick James Jr. dead in the back seat of the abandoned car. Ballistics evidence suggested that Cole was trying to shoot out through his back passenger window when he unintentionally shot James instead. Cole and two other individuals were arrested nearby, with surveillance video showing Cole tossing a gun onto a garage roof before his arrest.
Quincy Cole was charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of Roderick James Jr. He later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder and received a 12-year sentence with credit for time served. The arson case against Cole stemmed from allegations that he and another man set fire to a car used by gunmen during a shooting that killed a 32-year-old man and injured three others on Independence Day 2019.
