Grandson of community activist shot to death in Auburn Gresham
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The 16-year-old grandson of a well-known community activist has died.
Rev. Robin Hood confirms to CBS 2 that a teenager shot and killed in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood Friday night was his grandson, Ra-Shaun Hood.
Chicago police say the teen was found on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to the chest near 81st and Racine around 10 p.m.
He was taken to Comer Children's Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Hood says he has worked decades to prevent the kind of violence that took the life of his grandson. He sat down with CBS 2's Noel Brennan inside Greater Rock Missionary Baptist Church.
"I find hope through my faith," he said. "Even when I say I give up, I find there's still hope."
The church is a refuge for Hood.
"Where i can feel comfortable of talking more now than ever before," he said.
It's where the community activist finds and feels passion.
"If we don't get our hands on these kids and get these guns out of the hands of people that shouldn't have guns, we're going to continue this vicious cycle," he said.
But on Saturday he felt pain.
"I work with youth for many years right here in this city, but it's still different because it's my grandson," he said. "Ra-Shaun is his name."
Hood consoles families who lose loved ones to gun violence, but now he grieves for his own.
"I don't know what happened," he said. "All I know is they found him with a bullet in his chest on 81st and Elizabeth. Last night, 10:30 p.m. last night."
Ra-Shaun Hood was 16.
"We called him Tiny Man because he was kind of short in stature. Very smart kid. Played basketball," Hood said. "Whoever killed my grandson, the family deserves justice. My grandson deserves justice. You know, he's gone. He's never coming back."
Chicago Police say Ra-Shaun died at the hospital.
"My legs was hurting yesterday, but when I got the call I was able to get up and go out," he said. "And I felt strength in my legs, and I haven't been asleep since I found out about it last night."
Pain reinforces passion, and Hood feels it more than ever before.
"When there's passion, you keep doing it, even when you don't want to do it no more. This is not a job," he said. "This is a passion."
Hood has been doing anti-violence work for more than 20 years, including in Auburn Gresham where his grandson was killed.
Chicago Police say no one is in custody, and no suspect information has been released.
Rev. Hood says he has lost family members to violence before. He says this kind of loss impacts an entire community.
Area Two detectives are investigating.