On the morning of December 9, 2019, at approximately 8:40 a.m., 31-year-old Alton D. Ellis was walking with his 18-month-old son in the 6200 block of South Mozart Street in Chicago's South Side neighborhood of Chicago Lawn. An unidentified 24-year-old man approached Ellis on foot and opened fire, striking him in the chest and torso. Despite his injuries, Ellis returned fire, hitting the assailant in both thighs. Tragically, both men succumbed to their injuries: Ellis was transported to Holy Cross Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, while the 24-year-old was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and also pronounced dead. Miraculously, Ellis's toddler was unharmed during the incident.
Initially, authorities believed Ellis was taking his son to school when the shooting occurred and that the child had run to seek help. However, further investigation revealed that a 23-year-old woman inside a nearby apartment heard the gunshots and discovered Ellis outside, suffering from gunshot wounds. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, with police indicating that Ellis appeared to have been targeted for 'unknown reasons.' Both men died from their injuries, and the Cook County medical examiner's office confirmed their deaths.
Alton D. Ellis resided in the southwest suburb of Justice, Illinois. The identity of the 24-year-old assailant was not immediately released by the medical examiner's office. Area Central detectives launched a homicide investigation to uncover further details surrounding the incident. As of the latest available information, no arrests have been made, and no additional suspects have been identified in connection with the case.
