Rev. Robin Hood offers reward for information in grandson's murder
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A $10,000 reward is being offered to anyone with information that helps catch the person who gunned down a well-known community activist's 16-year-old grandson on Friday night.
Ra-Shaun Hood, grandson of the Rev. Robin Hood, was killed near 81st Street and Racine Avenue in Auburn Gresham.
As CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey reported, the 16-year-old boy's parents were too rattled and emotional to speak Monday morning. But his grandfather - a crusader against gun violence - had plenty to say.
"From the White House to the outhouse, we have become so numb to gun violence - that we all use that as a crutch to say, 'I'm glad it ain't mine,'" Hood said. "But guess what – we're here to tell you, you could have next."
Police Ra-Shaun was found on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to the chest around 10 p.m. on Friday.
His family gathered to pray at the scene as they wept.
Loved ones described the teen as a high school honor student who loved playing basketball and making people laugh.
The tragic irony that this was Rev. Robin Hood's grandson was lost on no one who gathered to call for justice.
"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," Rev. Hood said. "Whoever killed my grandson, the family deserves justice. My grandson deserves justice."
Rev. Hood is the founder of Mothers Opposed to Violence Everywhere, and has worked for decades to prevent precisely this kind of violence.
Between a $5,000 pledge by the Leaders Network and another $5,000 from St. Sabina's Fr. Michael Pfleger, a total of $10,000 in reward money is available to anyone who leads police to the killer.
It was a violent weekend in Chicago. Ra-Shaun Hood was one of at least six people killed and 32 people are injured.
"You must be brought to justice for the healing to begin for this family -- and we will not rest until that happens," said Bishop Tavis Grant, National Executive Director of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
Several community activists pointed to the fact that the intersection of 81st Street and Racine Avenue in particular has seen too much bloodshed in recent years.
"This corner over here has been a problem for a long time," said Pfleger. "I've been to about five shootings on this corner that I know."
Pfleger said a member of his youth group was shot in the same spot.
The CBS 2 Investigators dug into Chicago police crime data and discovered that just year, within a three-block radius of that intersection of 81st Street and Racine Avenue, there were 13 shootings - one of them fatal.
Auburn Gresham currently ranks ninth worst community area with shootings, 59 so far this year, with 10 of them being fatal.
Meanwhile, in addition to offering the reward for information, activists are also asking for additional police resources in this area in light of the chronic issues here.
"We know what we need - and we're going to ask them, what do they need so we can help them getting it?" said the Rev. Hood, "and part of that they have to solve these crimes, but you've got to give them the necessary tools.
We did reach out to Chicago Police about that request for additional patrols here… we're still waiting on a response.
At last check, CPD had no in custody and Area 2 detectives are investigating.