Youth services worker killed in shooting outside community center; teen he was helping was target
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mark Johnson's mission was helping young people rebuild their lives – and last week, he was shot and killed doing that work.
The shooting that took Johnson's life happened on Friday at 7:21 p.m. outside the Bishop Shepard Little Memorial Center, at 5222 S. Halsted St. on the cusp of Back of the Yards and Englewood.
As CBS 2's Tara Molina reported, Johnson was a youth services worker. The young man he was with was the target.
Molina talked to a leader of the church and community center outside which the shooting happened.
Pastor Robert East has seen a lot in his 43 years on South Halsted Street. But as for the shooting Friday night outside his Liberty Temple church and Bishop Shepard Little Memorial community center, he has never seen anything like it here.
"First shooting," Pastor East said. "First."
Our cameras rolled after the deadly shots were fired. Fourteen shell casing markers were spotted in the middle of the street.
We have learned Johnson - who worked for Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities, or TASC - was the one caught in the crossfire and killed. He died at the University of Chicago Medical Center, and the Cook County Medical Examiner's office confirmed he died of multiple gunshot wounds in a homicide.
"He got caught in the gunfire," East said. "They were shooting at young fellow."
Pastor East says the 16-year-old boy Johnson was getting ready to take home from a rehabilitation program was the target. The teen was shot in the leg and was taken to UChicago's Comer Children's Hospital.
He is expected to recover.
"The persons who did the shooting was already parked out on the street, waiting for this young man," East said.
The gym at the community center was filled with teens involved in other programs hosted there Friday night. Thankfully, no one else was hurt.
The TASC program uses meeting rooms at the memorial community center building.
"They give them an option to come to this program or maybe be incarcerated – whatever," said Pastor East. "So a lot of them use this option."
TASC responded to our requests on the shooting and Mark Johnson's role with a statement from president and chief executive officer Joel K. Johnson:
"We at TASC are grief stricken at the brutal killing of Mark Johnson, a member of the TASC Team, in another senseless act of gun violence in Chicago. Mark's job at TASC, actually his mission, was to help people to rebuild their lives, and Mark tragically lost his at the very moment that he was on the job in our Englewood satellite office supporting one of TASC's youth clients, who was also wounded in the shooting. TASC lost an employee and a friend. And Englewood lost a hero who sought to help the community's most vulnerable. Our deepest and sincerest condolences are extended to Mark's family and loved ones. And we wish a speedy recovery to our young client, as well."
As for what's next, Pastor East said there are plans to increase security at the community center moving forward.
After 43 years, he says the first shooting needs to be the last.
"We're going to do what we can to come up with a plan with TASC and the 9th District commander to see, what can we do to prevent this kind of incident from happening again?" East said.
We were not able to get in touch with Johnson's family.
Chicago Police said the shooting is still under investigation, and no one is in custody. They won't say if they've identified any suspects.
Miquel Lewis, acting director of the Juvenile Probation Department, released this statement:
"The Juvenile Probation Department, which works with TASC to provide rehabilitative services to youth within the Juvenile Justice system, offers our profound condolences to the victim's family, the TASC organization, and youth and employees affected by this tragedy."