Teen Who Tried To Escape Chicago Violence Slain In West Englewood
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A community came together Sunday to mourn another teenager shot and killed in Chicago.
Franika Marshall broke down remembering her 14-year-old son, J-Quantae Riles, who was slain on a West Englewood sidewalk, just days after moving back to Chicago from Virginia.
Marshall needed help to get through Sunday night's vigil at the spot where J-Quantae was killed in the 2200 block of West 59th Street.
She had been working hard to help her family escape the violence in Chicago before losing her son on Saturday.
As his grandmother and mother held on to each other Sunday night, there was no denying J-Quantae's death was full of both sadness and irony.
"She was trying to get him away from this violence," said J-Quantae's grandmother, Carolyn Marshall. "Been here 10 days, then this happened."
J-Quantae and his mother – who is pregnant with twins – moved to Virgina in October to find a safer future, but circumstances had them moving back to Chicago just days ago.
"He never been in trouble a day in his life," his grandmother said.
Around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, while walking with two other teens near a viaduct in West Englewood, a gunman approached and opened fire at them, hitting J-Quantae in the back. J-Quantae died on the scene.
"He didn't even get a chance to live," his mother said.
Franika Marshall had been concerned about violence in her neighborhood for years, even putting together a rap video called "Put The Guns Down."
Two of J-Quantae's cousins also had been wounded in other shootings.
Franika Marshall said she fears that kind of violence will never end.
"It's gonna take a lot, cause it's only getting worser and worser, and it's not getting better," she said.
J-Quantae's family said they don't believe he was the intended target.
No one was in custody Sunday night.