Diviris Garfeed, a 33-year-old African American male, was fatally shot on March 2, 2020, in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The incident occurred shortly after midnight in the 1000 block of North Springfield Avenue. Garfeed was standing outside when a white, four-door Pontiac sedan approached. Julius Thomas III, a 20-year-old member of the Jack Boys P Block faction of the Four Corner Hustlers street gang, was in the front passenger seat of the vehicle.
Thomas asked Garfeed if he had $20 worth of marijuana to sell. When Garfeed told him to pull over, Thomas took out a large, shiny handgun and fired multiple shots at Garfeed. Two other men who were with Garfeed at the time ran away as the shots were fired. Garfeed was found barely breathing and bleeding from the head. He was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died hours later from gunshot wounds to his forehead and leg.
The investigation into Garfeed's death revealed that Thomas had attempted to sell the murder weapon on Facebook Live just two hours after the shooting. In the video, Thomas bragged that he had put two bodies on the gun, saying "that's what he does with his pipes." He was wearing the same blue sweater that a witness had seen the shooter wearing, and the gun matched the description provided by the witness. Surveillance video captured the shooting and the Pontiac sedan, which was registered to Thomas. A police officer recognized the car as being involved in an earlier homicide in Elmwood Park. Thomas was taken into custody the day after the shooting when he was seen getting into the car near his West Garfield Park home. Detectives recovered a single 9-mm shell casing lodged between the rear windshield and trunk of the vehicle.
Thomas was charged with first-degree murder in connection with Garfeed's death. During his initial court appearance, prosecutors presented evidence linking Thomas to the crime, including the Facebook Live video and witness testimony. Thomas was held without bail and faced additional charges for his involvement in the Elmwood Park homicide. The case against Thomas highlighted the ongoing issue of gun violence in Chicago and the challenges faced by law enforcement in addressing gang-related crimes. The investigation into Garfeed's death continued as authorities sought to gather more evidence and bring those responsible to justice.
