Jervon Morris played basketball daily at a court a block from his house, usually twice a day.
When Morris, 20, who was legally blind and suffered several other disabilities, wasn't shooting hoops, he volunteered at the park, even during the winter, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Jo-Jo, as family and neighbors called him, was shot in the head playing basketball at Euclid Park, the only victim Monday after more than 20 gunshots rang out.
"He was a lovely young man," Deryl Young told the Tribune. "His disabilities did not deprive him of being a good person."
There was a group of people in the park and Morris was playing when someone opened fire around 5:40 p.m., according to the Tribune. Police and family believe Morris was not targeted, but rather caught in the crossfire, according to WGN.
Police searched the area for bullet shells as well as other evidence. So far, there is no one in custody.
Edna and her husband Deryl Young, Morris' aunt and uncle, raised him since he was a baby, according to the Tribune.
"He was down facing toward the house like he was trying to run home, and got shot right there in the gateway of the park," Morris' aunt Edna Young said. "My heart is totally broken. I can't believe Jervon is gone."
Morris is one of at least four people killed and 52 other victims of gun violence over the weekend, according to the Tribune.
Still, it’s not the most violent Memorial Day weekend for the city.
There were 69 people shot and six killed in 2016, according to the Sun-Times. In 2015, 43 people were shot, 12 of them fatally.
Police arrested 160 people over the weekend in an anti-violence initiative across the city. They seized 21 illegal guns.
About the Author
