Everick Coleman

Everick L. Coleman, a father, grandfather, and former high school security monitor known for his positive influence, was shot and killed just hours into his 43rd birthday. The shooting occurred in Chicago’s University Village neighborhood during a large street party held in his honor on August 7, 2016. Coleman, a Black man, was remembered by friends and colleagues as a great person with a wonderful, loving personality and a beautiful smile. He had four daughters and two grandsons.

Known to friends as "Blue," Coleman previously worked as a security monitor at Oak Park and River Forest High School from early 2013 until his resignation in December 2014. A former colleague, English teacher Anthony Clark, mourned his death on social media, writing, “Educational systems as a whole sorely lack positive black male role models. Oak Park and River Forest just lost one of their own! From what I knew of Mr. Coleman, he was a great person who modeled for the students and shared great relationships with his colleagues.”

The night of the tragedy, former neighbors threw a birthday party for Coleman on the 1300 block of West Hastings Street. The celebration, which began Saturday evening, drew a crowd of over 200 people into the street. Witnesses described a fun, festive atmosphere where everyone was mingling and having a good time. But shortly after midnight, as the date turned to August 7th, Coleman’s birthday, the celebration was shattered by violence.

Around 2:20 a.m., panic erupted. One witness heard someone scream, “They’re going to shoot,” just before multiple volleys of gunfire rang out. In the chaos, as people ran for cover, Coleman was struck by bullets in his head and chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:42 a.m. A 40-year-old woman was also shot, sustaining wounds to her arm and back; she was transported to Stroger Hospital in stable condition. After the shooting, the street was littered with empty cups and bottles, and a large pool of blood remained where Coleman had fallen.

Chicago Police Department officers responded to the scene, which was described as chaotic. More than a dozen officers, some with assault rifles, secured the block between Throop and Loomis streets, just a block from the Near West District police station. Despite the large number of people present at the party, authorities reported that no one was in custody immediately following the shooting. Neighbors expressed a belief that while someone must have seen something, a general distrust of police and fear of retaliation would likely prevent witnesses from coming forward.

In the months that followed, Coleman's family continued to seek justice. In June 2017, they returned to the block where he was killed, going door-to-door in the surrounding apartment complex, handing out flyers, and pleading for anyone with information to speak to investigators. His cousin Lavon tearfully remembered him, saying, "He was the man. We miss him so much." She stressed that with so many people present, it was obvious someone saw the killer.

As of June 2017, the investigation by Area Central detectives was ongoing, but no arrests had been made, and the case remains unsolved. The shooting was not the first instance of gun violence on that block; another man, Eric Knox, had been killed at a party there just two months prior. Coleman’s death was a tragic part of a violent weekend in Chicago, during which 26 people were shot over an 18-hour period. His family continues to hope for a clue that will lead police to the person responsible. Chicago Police detectives can be reached at (312) 747-8381, and anonymous tips can be given to Chicago's Survivors at (800) 883-5587.