On the evening of June 21, 2021, 28-year-old African American male Lamar Brian Drakes was fatally shot while working on his car outside his residence in the 10400 block of South Eggleston Avenue in Chicago's Roseland neighborhood. The assailant, driving a silver Chevrolet Malibu, opened fire around 8:40 p.m., striking Drakes multiple times. He was transported to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead .
Drakes, a father to a young son, was caring for his ill
grandfather at the time of his death. He aspired to become a Cook County Sheriff's Deputy, following in his mother's footsteps, and was scheduled to take the sheriff's exam just two weeks later . His mother, Dorothy Riles, has publicly expressed frustration over the lack of progress in the investigation, stating that she believes significant leads are not being pursued and that the case has gone cold. She has also claimed that the suspect is being hidden out of state by family members .
As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with Drakes' murder. However, a person of interest has been identified by the police, and community activist Andrew Holmes has indicated that authorities are actively seeking this individual . The family initially offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, which has since been increased to $20,000 . The Chicago Police Department continues to urge anyone with information to come forward.
