Lionel E. Johnson was 29 when he was shot and killed in Austin, on Chicago’s West Side, on October 13, 2013. According to reports, Lionel and an acquaintance were walking through the parking lot of a gas station on South Cicero Avenue just before 2 a.m. when a gunman approached and fired multiple shots, striking Lionel. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

The killing occurred during a year when Austin and other parts of Chicago saw elevated levels of gun violence; the city recorded 455 homicides in 2013. Lionel’s death is described as part of a broader pattern of violence in neighborhoods affected by gang conflicts, economic hardship, and limited services. Any readers who knew Lionel or who have information about the shooting are asked to come forward.