On July 8, 2014, Marcel Q. Pearson, a 17-year-old high school graduate, was fatally shot while walking with a friend in Chicago’s Brainerd neighborhood. Marcel, who had recently graduated from Johnson College Prep, was excited about beginning his studies at Western Illinois University as a first-generation college student. Tragically, the shooting occurred just two days before his scheduled college orientation.
Marcel was shot in the chest and back, and pronounced dead at the scene. His friend, a 15-year-old, was also shot but survived. The shooter fled in a white minivan, and no arrests have been made in connection with the case. Marcel’s death was a significant loss to his community, as he was seen as a promising young man looking forward to his future. His untimely death is part of the broader challenge of addressing gun violence in Chicago.
