On November 13, 2016, 20-year-old African American male Tridell Parker was fatally shot in the early morning hours outside a Mobil gas station located at 4804 W. Madison Street in Chicago's South Austin neighborhood. Officers responding to a call of a person shot at 1:59 a.m. found Parker suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the abdomen and chest. He was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:37 a.m.
According to reports, Parker and several friends were at the gas station when 26-year-old Tavarus Johnson arrived with two companions in a black sedan. A brief confrontation occurred between the groups near the gas pumps. After a short exchange, Johnson and his associates returned to their vehicle. As Parker approached the open driver's side door of the sedan, Johnson walked around the vehicle, pointed a firearm at several individuals, and began shooting. Parker was struck multiple times and attempted to crawl away, eventually collapsing under a nearby SUV. He sustained 12 gunshot wounds to his back, hip, chest, right knee, and both arms.
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with one individual recalling Parker pleading, 'no, no, no,' before being shot. Another witness reported hearing a commotion followed by gunshots and observed Parker lying motionless near the SUV.
The investigation led to the identification of Tavarus Johnson as the suspect. Johnson's fingerprint was recovered from the SUV under which Parker collapsed, and surveillance footage captured the shooting and Johnson's contact with the vehicle. He was taken into custody on April 3, 2018, following an unrelated court appearance. Johnson, a documented member of the Cicero Insane Vice Lord Gang, was charged with first-degree murder. During his bail hearing, it was revealed that he had been employed through a temporary staffing agency for the past two years and was a father. Judge Michael Clancy denied bail, and Johnson was scheduled for a subsequent court appearance on April 24, 2018.
Tridell Parker, described by those who knew him as always smiling, fun, and respectful, was a rapper affiliated with 6900 Redtape Wop and had attended Sherwood Elementary. He resided in the Parkway Gardens neighborhood on Chicago's South Side.
