Parish McKenzie, a 21-year-old male from Chicago, IL, was tragically killed on July 22, 2018. McKenzie, along with his friend Tremel L. Thomas, 22, was sitting in a parked vehicle in the South Side Englewood neighborhood when they were shot at around 5:35 a.m. Both men suffered multiple gunshot wounds and were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where McKenzie was pronounced dead at 6:03 a.m. and Thomas at 7:55 a.m.
Autopsies revealed that McKenzie died from a gunshot wound to the chest, and Thomas from multiple gunshot wounds. Both deaths were ruled homicides.
The incident occurred in the 5500 block of South Wells, and a 28-year-old man who was also in the vehicle suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He was initially taken to St. Bernard Hospital before being transferred to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. Area South detectives launched a homicide investigation following the shooting.
Further details emerged that McKenzie and Thomas were among seven men sitting on a park bench in the East Garfield Park neighborhood when four men approached them and opened fire. The shooters fled the scene in an unidentified stolen vehicle. A total of 48 bullet shell casings were found at the crime scene. The rest of the men survived their injuries.
The shooting was part of a larger pattern of violence in Chicago, with mass shootings becoming increasingly common. The Black Souls and the Gangster Disciples street gangs were reportedly at war in the East Garfield Park area, although it was unclear whether any of the victims were gang members. The Chicago Police Department faced significant challenges in solving such crimes, with a low clearance rate for homicides.
Despite the ongoing investigation, no arrests or suspects were reported in connection with the deaths of Parish McKenzie and Tremel L. Thomas. The case remains unsolved, highlighting the broader issue of gun violence and the difficulties faced by law enforcement in addressing it.
