Ezra Hill Jr., a 10-year-old African American boy, tragically lost his life on March 23, 2019, in Harvey, Illinois. Ezra, also known as "E.J.," was a fourth-grader at Tyler Elementary School in DeKalb. On that fateful Saturday afternoon, Ezra was in a vehicle with his father in the 14600 block of Des Plaines Street in South Harvey. Around 1:30 p.m., a car pulled up alongside their vehicle and fired approximately two dozen shots, hitting Ezra twice. Despite undergoing surgery at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ezra succumbed to his injuries on Monday.
The investigation into Ezra's death revealed that the father was uninjured during the shooting. The bullets from the attack also struck a nearby house and vehicle. Detectives found two dozen shell casings at the scene and interviewed witnesses in an attempt to gather evidence that could lead to an arrest. However, the motive behind the shooting remained unclear, and investigators continued their search for the shooter.
In a related development, Ezra Hill Sr., Ezra's father, had previously been wrongfully jailed for 31 months on attempted murder charges. A federal jury awarded him $3 million in a lawsuit against the Harvey Police Department. The lawsuit revealed that Hill Sr. had been framed by the police in a 2014 drive-by shooting incident. Despite the lack of physical evidence linking him to the crime, Hill Sr. spent over two years in jail before being acquitted. This wrongful imprisonment and subsequent release added another layer of complexity to the investigation into Ezra Jr.'s death.
The community of Harvey, Illinois, was deeply affected by the loss of Ezra Hill Jr. Family, friends, and community members gathered to remember the young boy at a vigil held in his honor. The tragic incident highlighted the ongoing issues of gun violence and the need for justice and accountability in the community.
