Damarion Jakes, a 14-year-old boy from Zion, Illinois, was fatally shot in Chicago on August 5, 2023. The incident occurred early Saturday morning in the 2700 block of West Van Buren Street in the East Garfield Park area. The Chicago Police Department responded to a ShotSpotter activation alerting them to gunshots in the area around 5:53 a.m..
Upon arrival, officers found an initially unidentified boy in his early teenage years who had been shot multiple times, including two gunshot
wounds to the head. The victim was transported to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. He was later identified as Damarion Jakes by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. Despite medical efforts, Jakes was pronounced dead at the hospital on Monday, August 7, 2023.
An autopsy confirmed that Jakes died from a gunshot wound to the head, and his death was ruled a homicide. As of the current date, no one is in custody, and the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation by Chicago Police Area Four detectives.
Damarion Jakes was described by his family as a caring and responsible individual. His mother, Brittany Benson, who is visually impaired, relied on him for daily assistance. He also looked after his two younger brothers and had aspirations to play basketball professionally and to pursue a career in rapping. Jakes had previously attended Lawndale Community Academy and was set to start at Wells Community Academy in the fall.
Reverend Paul Jakes Jr., the pastor of the New Tabernacle of Faith Baptist Church in Chicago and Damarion's cousin, held a press conference to address the community about the tragedy. Reverend Jakes is offering a $500 reward for any information that leads to the identification and apprehension of the suspect or suspects involved in Damarion's murder. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the authorities at 773-533-9940.
