Roseland shooting victim was working to turn his life around with Chicago organization
CHICAGO (CBS) – He was trying to turn his life around, trying to prevent violence, but instead, his life was cut short.
Ronnie Roper, 28, was a member of the Chicago CRED organization. He was shot and killed near the group's outreach center in Roseland on Wednesday. A team member spoke with CBS 2's Shardaa Gray about what happened and how they're remembering him.
It was a tough day at Chicago CRED after Roper was shot and killed in broad daylight.
"We have to restore our trust and the belief that we can keep our participants safe," said Rev. Craig Nash, CRED's community engagement director. "So we're going to do everything in our power to make sure that happens."
The shooting happened near the organization's Roseland outreach center. Police said Roper was walking near a parking lot when two people walked up and shot him in the head. Nash said Roper, a former CRED member, rejoined the group nine months ago.
"He's been on fire with his progress, with his accomplishments," Nash said. "He was working towards his high school diploma. He was excited about traveling to New York next week."
CRED, which stands for Create Real Economic Destiny, was founded by former Chicago Public Schools head Arne Duncan, who also served as the U.S. Secretary of Education. The group provides therapy, job placement services and programming for men who are at high risk of committing crimes or becoming victims of gun violence.
Duncan said in a tweet that Roper was killed while leaving one of their sites.
One of our participants was killed today as he left one of our sites. He had just written about how much achieving his HS diploma would mean to him & his family.
— Arne Duncan (@arneduncan) May 18, 2023
Devastated doesn’t describe what we are feeling- please keep his family and our @ChicagoCred family in your prayers.
Nash said Roper also helped recruit younger guys from the Roseland neighborhood to be a part of CRED.
"That's the tough part," Nash said. "He's working on these things. He's doing all the right things and then this happens."
Chicago CRED said it plans to honor Roper at graduation in August. The organization said it plans to honor him with a balloon release.
Police said no one is in custody.
Roper is the second person working on violence prevention to be shot and killed in the city in less than a week. Mark Johnson, who worked for Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities, or TASC, was killed last Friday. He was caught in crossfire outside the Bishop Shepard Little Memorial Center in West Englewood.