Daemond Russell, a 20-year-old man, was fatally shot in the early hours of August 28, 2023, in the Calumet Heights neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The incident occurred in the parking lot of a Shell gas station located at 1650 E. 95th St. According to police and witness reports, Russell was in his vehicle when an unidentified man attempted to rob him. During the attempted robbery, the assailant fired shots, hitting Russell in the head as he tried to escape in his vehicle.
Russell crashed his car into a tree after being shot, but a passenger in the vehicle was not injured.
Russell was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. He was identified by his family, who described him as an aspiring graphic designer with his own fashion label. At the time of his death, Russell was taking a year off from Clark Atlanta University and was splitting his time between his mother's house in Olympia Fields and his father's house in Chicago. He had recently started a job at a plastics factory in University Park to pay for his car while attending a local junior college.
Russell's mother, Tatiana Jones, expressed deep grief over his loss, describing him as her only child and best friend. She mentioned that they had plans to celebrate his upcoming 21st birthday and had discussed future family milestones, all of which were now lost due to the tragic event. Russell's former basketball coach at Gary Comer College Prep, Lawrence Jackson, remembered him as a "silent leader" with a unique presence and creative mind.
As of the current date, no one has been taken into custody in connection with Russell's murder. The Area Two detectives of the Chicago Police Department are continuing to investigate the case.
