Edgar Romero, a 38-year-old Hispanic man known to his loved ones as a smiling, joking son, brother, uncle, and father, was a man full of life. He worked as a barber and a DJ, building a community of clients and friends who appreciated his skills and his vibrant personality. He was the proud father of two daughters, one who was preparing to start college at the University of Illinois Chicago and another who was in the third grade at the time of his death. His family remembered him as someone who would never turn his back on anyone in need. A resident of the North Lawndale neighborhood on Chicago's West Side, he was a cherished member of his family and community.
In the early hours of Monday, May 1, 2017, tragedy struck. At about 1:45 a.m., Edgar was driving in the Gage Park neighborhood on the city's Southwest Side.
He stopped the car and got out in the 2700 block of West 51st Street, where he became involved in an argument with two male passengers who had been in the vehicle with him. The verbal altercation escalated with shocking speed. One of the passengers pulled out a gun and shot Edgar in the head. The two men then got back into the car and fled, driving southbound from the scene.
First responders rushed Edgar to Mount Sinai Hospital, but his injuries were too severe. He was pronounced dead at 2:21 a.m. The Cook County medical examiner’s office later conducted an autopsy which determined that he died from multiple gunshot wounds. The report also listed multiple blunt force injuries from an assault as a contributing factor in his death, which was officially ruled a homicide. A witness who lived nearby later told a reporter that he saw a man being beaten before he was shot.
The Chicago Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation. Officers cordoned off West 51st Street between California and Fairfield avenues, a block that includes a funeral home. Detectives canvassed the area, searching for evidence and placing at least four evidence markers on the street. They also sought surveillance footage from nearby businesses. The owner of a Western wear shop across the street from the crime scene confirmed that detectives had visited his store to retrieve video from his security cameras, which had captured the fight and the shooting.
In the days following the killing, a small, makeshift memorial appeared on the sidewalk where Edgar Romero lost his life. Mourners placed blue and white candles and three small photographs of him at the scene. One man stopped to lay a bouquet of flowers beneath the sign for the funeral home. His family, grappling with the sudden and violent loss, was left to wonder why his trust in the people he was with had led to such a tragic end.
With no life insurance to cover the unexpected expenses, Edgar’s family started a GoFundMe page to help with the cost of his funeral. They planned for any remaining funds to go toward supporting his two daughters, of whom he was so proud. The fundraiser brought in over $5,000 from friends, family, and community members who shared their grief and support. As of May 2017, Chicago police had not made any arrests in connection with the murder, and no suspects had been publicly identified. The case remains unsolved.
