Deontae M. Hoard, a 17-year-old high school senior, was tragically shot and killed on March 2, 2015, while walking in the South Deering neighborhood of Chicago. He was just blocks away from his home when the shooting occurred. Hoard was a student at Urban Prep Academies, a well-regarded college-preparatory school, where he was involved in basketball and track. He had been accepted to several colleges and was described as a young man full of promise and potential.
His death deeply impacted his school community, as he was the first active Urban Prep student to be killed. Grief counselors were made available to his classmates, and a memorial was held in his honor. Hoard’s murder highlighted the ongoing violence plaguing many of Chicago’s neighborhoods, with his story becoming part of the broader narrative of young lives cut short due to senseless acts of violence.
