Travon Freeman, 17, a Black male, was riding his new bicycle to class at EPIC Academy on a Monday morning when gunfire shattered the quiet of South Chicago. Around 8:30 a.m., officers found him in the bushes with multiple gunshot wounds in the 8300 block of South Baker Avenue, near his bike and wearing his school lanyard. Investigators collected at least 21 shell casings, and a black Hyundai Sonata believed to be tied to the attack was discovered a few blocks away; police noted it had also been
involved in an earlier expressway shooting that same morning. He was identified by the Cook County medical examiner.
In the hours that followed, the picture that emerged from school officials was of a high-achieving senior who filled hallways with energy and ambition. They said Freeman had been enrolled in all Advanced Placement courses and was a candidate for student council president. According to those officials, two people confronted him near the school, robbed him of his backpack, and shot him; friends recalled he had looped the block one last time before heading inside. In grief and solidarity, the school organized a learning day at the Museum of Science and Industry and postponed its homecoming dance as students and staff wore orange to call for peace.
Accounts of the assailants varied in initial reports. A witness told police three people in ski masks stood over Freeman and fired before speeding off in a black car, while another report said two suspects approached and opened fire about a block from the school. As of late September and into October, police had not announced any arrests in the case; the vehicle was recovered and detectives continued their investigation. Memorial listings for Freeman record his death on September 29, 2025, in Chicago.
