Grandmother of man shot to death on South Side: ‘He didn’t bother nobody’

The grandmother of a 22-year-old man shot to death Sunday afternoon on the South Side said she can’t understand why anyone would do that to her grandson, and that the family can’t afford to give him a burial.

“He was a good young man, he didn’t bother nobody,” said Alberta Williams, 73, the grandmother of Darnell Williams, who was gunned down about 3:10 p.m. in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood.

Emergency crews found him in the 7200 block of South Vincennes with a gunshot wound to the back, police said.

Darnell Williams, of the 600 block of West Cermak, was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 5:23 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy ruled his death a homicide.

“We don’t have insurance,” said Alberta Williams, of the 5100 block of South Emerald. “We don’t know how we’re going to bury him.”

She said her daughter’s son was a “bucket boy” who hung out near 71st and the Dan Ryan Expressway. He was the youngest of three sisters and didn’t have any children.

“He beat on a white bucket and asked people for money,” Alberta Williams said. “Every time I saw him, that’s what he was doing. He was not gang-banging.”

Police said the 22-year-old had documented gang ties.

“I don’t believe that,” Alberta Williams said. “He was too quiet for that.”

She added that Darnell Williams’ mom said “he was just sitting on a porch” at the time of the shooting.

“I don’t believe he was in no gang,” Alberta Williams said.

Police said no one has been charged in connection with the shooting.

She said the last time she spoke with her grandson, he told her he loved her.

“He called me Sunday and said, ‘Grandma, what time are you getting out of church?’ I said, ‘I’ll be home around four,’ and he said he was going to bring me two 2-liters of 7 Up.’”

“I said, ‘That’s good, son. I love you.’ And he said, ‘I love you too, grandma,” Alberta Williams said. “That was the last time I talked to him.”