Condolences poured onto a south suburban high school’s Facebook page after a 15-year-old sophomore was gunned down in Chicago while waiting for a ride-share.
“He was my daughter’s classmate, such a tragic loss,” posted one parent after the superintendent of Reavis High School in Burbank posted news of the death of Matthew Miller-Hernandez.
“He was a very happy and sweet boy,” wrote another.
Miller-Hernandez was standing with a group of people in the 2500 block of South Blue Island Avenue when someone got out of a car and began talking to them around 6:35 p.m. Wednesday, according to Chicago police.
The person pulled out a gun and began firing, hitting Miller-Hernandez in the chest and shoulders. He was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital.
Police had no motive for the attack and reported no one in custody as of Friday.
“We all grieve the loss of one of our Rams during a time that is supposed to be cheerful and full of gratitude,” Reavis Superintendent Dan Riordan said in a Facebook post. “We are reminded that every day is a gift and to never take tomorrow for granted.”
Miller-Hernandez was killed in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood on the west side of Chicago, about 11 miles from his home in Burbank.
The neighborhood is located in the Ogden police district where homicides are up 4% this year and shooting are up 9%, according to police statistics.
About 20 minutes before Miller-Hernandez was shot, a man was wounded blocks away in the 2500 block of South Oakley Avenue, police said. The 20-year-old was struck in the face, lower back and abdomen, and was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital.
Police did not say if the two shootings were connected.
