Santino Delgado

Santino Delgado was a kind, humble, and ambitious young man who lit up every room with his smile and enthusiastic personality. The 21-year-old male was remembered by loved ones for his generosity, strong work ethic, and willingness to help anyone with a problem. He and his father were best friends, and Santino was working hard to make him proud. He had a regular 9-to-5 job and had recently started college with plans to become a mechanic. His family said he had dreams and goals and so much of his life ahead of him.

On the night of Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Santino was trying to earn extra money with his father. The two were making deliveries for Instacart in his car, with his dad in the passenger seat. At around 9:55 p.m., Santino was stopped in traffic in the 3400 block of West Diversey Avenue, on the border of Chicago’s Logan Square and Avondale neighborhoods. A white SUV pulled up alongside their vehicle, and someone inside opened fire.

Santino was struck by a bullet in his back. The white SUV fled the scene, heading southbound on Central Park Avenue. Santino was rushed to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, but his injury was too severe. He was pronounced dead at 10:29 p.m., just over half an hour after the shooting. His father, who was 48, was not physically injured in the attack. The Cook County medical examiner’s office later ruled Santino’s death a homicide. His family does not believe he was the intended target.

The Chicago Police Department’s Area Five detectives launched an investigation into the fatal shooting. As of early November 2026, they had not made any arrests and had not released a detailed description of any suspects. The case remained under active investigation.

A week after the shooting, on November 10, dozens of friends, relatives, and neighbors gathered for a vigil and peace walk to grieve and honor Santino. The event was organized by the local nonprofit Palenque LSNA. Mourners wore black and teal shirts with Santino’s smiling portrait and the words “Forever in our hearts.” They carried candles and posters with messages like “Justice for Santino Delgado” and “Put the guns down.” The crowd marched from Avondale to the corner of North St. Louis and West Diversey avenues, where a makeshift memorial of flowers, balloons, and candles marked the spot where Santino was shot.

At the vigil, Santino’s older sister, Lyannie Gomez, remembered her brother’s loving nature. "I didn't realize his last words would be 'I love you.' I didn't know that would be the last time I'd hear his voice," she said. "We are not here to promote violence. We are not here to encourage retaliation. We are here because a young man who had dreams, who had a family and a future deserves justice." His cousin, Jazzlyn Ayala, said, "I want Santino to be remembered as the hardworking young man he was, very humble with a lot of dreams a lot of goals and he wanted to make his dad proud."

Alderman Anthony Quezada of the 35th Ward also spoke, assuring the community he was working with detectives to ensure accountability. "Santino is not a statistic," Quezada said. "Santino was a family member, a coworker, a fellow student, but more importantly, a human being with a full soul who had fully capacity to love another, and that's what we're here to stand up for."

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Santino’s family started a GoFundMe page to help with funeral arrangements. The community responded with an outpouring of support, quickly raising thousands of dollars. The investigation into Santino Delgado’s murder was ongoing as of November 2026. Police have asked that anyone with information come forward and contact Area Five detectives.