Teen Slain In Austin; 'The Only Thing You Can Do Is Offer Them Your Prayers'
Chicago (CBS) -- Police are looking for the person who shot and killed a teenager in the Austin neighborhood late Saturday night.
It's unclear what started the gunfire in the 1100 block of North Long Avenue around 11 p.m. Saturday. What is clear, it ended the life of 15-year-old Anton Shaw.
RELATED CPD: Teen Shot To Death In Austin
Police said just after 11 p.m. officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert in the 1100 block of North Long Avenue, where they discovered the boy lying on the ground outside of an alley with a gunshot wound to his face.
The teen, identified as Anton Shaw, was pronounced dead at the scene.
There are no witnesses, and no one is in custody, according to police. Area North detectives are investigating.
"All I saw was police cars down there on the corner," neighbor Bessie Wilson said. "Tears in my eyes, because I could hear I could hear the kids that I know hollering and crying."
"They were over there visiting their friends, standing at the end the alleyway right there," community activist Andrew Holmes said.
Neighbor Bessie Wilson described the victim's family as sweet and loving.
Holmes described the teen as a student, and not a problem for police.
"A lot of people say no, he wasn't involved in anything," Holmes said.
A memorial rests near where the killing occurred, but scenes like this are tragically all too familiar to the victim's family.
"This is their second loss within their family within I'd say 30 days," Holmes said. "The only thing you can do is offer them your prayers."
Holmes said Shaw is the second in his family to be taken by gun violence in about a month.
The fatal shooting happened just hours before Mayor Rahm Emanuel tweeted that his 2019 budget plan will include $42 million for violence prevention programs, an increase of about $8 million over 2018.
"To me, personally it's an insult," Holmes said. "Why now?"
"The money is okay, but it's too late. You're on your way out, it's too late. How many people have died in the city of Chicago bleeding for money to come in and help? How much blood is on the sidewalk?" he added. "To me, it's an insult. To me, it's hurting the parents. I mean, good to see it happen, a little bit too late."
