Bourama Thera, 58, was fatally struck by a stray bullet on October 15, 2020, during a shootout in the parking lot of the Menards on Lincoln Avenue in Dolton, Illinois. The shooting occurred around 5 p.m. while Thera sat in his black SUV; the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the cause of death a gunshot wound to the head. Thera was a father of six and grandfather of eleven; family members remembered him as a happy man who had hoped to return to Africa but never did.

The exchange of gunfire also killed 30-year-old Darquise Welch of Phoenix, Illinois, who was believed to have been one of the participants and died of multiple gunshot wounds after going to Ingalls Hospital in Harvey. The Dolton Police Department, led by Police Chief Ernest Mobley, has been investigating but had not announced any arrests; those responsible for the shootout remain at large. The community has called for increased efforts to curb gun violence.

If anyone witnessed the shooting or has information about who was involved, please share what is known.