Daveon Gibson, a 16-year-old Black male known to loved ones as "Dae Dae," was a sophomore at Senn High School in Chicago. Remembered as a kind and quiet young man who was a best friend to his mother and a big brother to his siblings, he had dreams of going to college. His family said he was a bright young person whose life was taken suddenly.
On the afternoon of January 31, 2024, Daveon was walking home from school with two friends.
At around 3:36 p.m., as the three students walked in the 1200 block of West Thorndale Avenue in the Edgewater neighborhood, a stolen gray Honda pulled into an alley, cutting off their path. Several people got out of the car and opened fire on the boys. Daveon was shot in the chest and was taken to a hospital in Evanston, where he died from his injuries.
The two other students, also from Senn High School, were wounded but survived. A 16-year-old was struck in the jaw, chest, and left forearm and was hospitalized in critical condition. A 15-year-old was shot in the leg and was in good condition. Police believed the shooting was targeted and may have been preceded by an altercation. The incident shocked the community, where neighbors held vigils and one woman who witnessed the shooting held Daveon in her arms until help arrived.
Investigators used surveillance footage to track the stolen Honda after the shooting. The car was found on February 2 in the 4100 block of North Kenmore Avenue. Video showed the attackers driving to that location, getting out of the car, and changing their clothes.
Weeks later, police arrested two teenage boys who were students at Uplift Community High School. Kashawn Perdue, 17, and an unnamed 14-year-old boy were charged in connection with the shooting. Prosecutors alleged that Perdue drove the stolen car while the 14-year-old got out and fired at least 15 rounds at the three victims.
Perdue was charged as an adult with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. The 14-year-old was charged as a juvenile with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and two counts of aggravated battery with discharge of a firearm. During a court hearing, Perdue was ordered to be detained pending trial. As of February 2024, the case was proceeding through the legal system.
