Christian Bandemer

Christian Bandemer, a 16-year-old boy with shaggy blond hair and blue eyes, was remembered by his family as a goofy, lanky, and happy-go-lucky youth who grew up in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood. A White male, Christian had turned 16 in February 2016 and spent most of his time with friends in the area where he lived. His older half-brother, Rudy Bandemer, described him as a "good kid" who was not involved in gangs.

On the morning of June 3, 2016, Christian was with his friend, 17-year-old Anthony Mendoza, and a 20-year-old cousin at a home in the 3500 block of South Parnell Avenue. At about 11:35 a.m., while Mendoza was showing Christian a shotgun and reportedly loading and unloading it, the weapon discharged. Christian was struck once in the chest. His cousin, who had stepped outside to smoke a cigarette, heard a “pop” and ran back inside to find Christian bleeding on the floor. The cousin immediately began applying pressure to the wound.

According to prosecutors, Mendoza fled the room, threw the shotgun into the high grass in front of a nearby abandoned house, and then returned. With blood on him, he allegedly asked the cousin what had happened. When Chicago Police officers arrived, they took Mendoza into custody. Police later recovered the shotgun in its case from the yard of the vacant home. Christian Bandemer was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:59 a.m. An autopsy by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed his death was a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the chest.

While sitting in the back of a police squad car after his arrest, Anthony Mendoza recorded a video of himself and posted it on the social media app Snapchat. In the brief, disappearing video, he confessed to the killing. "I killed Chris and now I’m going to kill myself," Mendoza said, according to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. Prosecutors also alleged that Mendoza had warned Christian's cousin "not to snitch" about the shooting. Initially, police and family members believed the shooting might have been a tragic accident.

Anthony Mendoza was charged as an adult with first-degree murder. During a court hearing on June 5, 2016, Assistant State’s Attorney Anna Sedelmaier argued that Mendoza was the only person in the room with Christian when the gun went off and that he should have known the danger of handling the weapon. Mendoza's defense attorney, Mike Johnson, characterized the shooting as an "accident," stating that his client had "no animosity" toward his friend. Judge Peggy Chiampas called the incident "an absolute tragedy" and set Mendoza's bail at $250,000, ordering that no firearms be allowed in his household if he were to be released.

In the wake of their son’s death, Christian’s devastated parents and family were left to grieve. His father frantically ran to the scene after hearing the news. His family started a GoFundMe account to help with expenses. In a statement, they expressed their profound loss and spoke out against gun violence. "Our Christian was taken from us way too soon from a senseless tragedy!" they wrote. "We can't express enough the danger that exist when guns get into the hands of the wrong people. He lost his life over this and will be forever in our hearts. We are hoping our loss will bring awareness to the growing epidemic of gun violence."

The case against Anthony Mendoza proceeded through the Cook County court system. Although the initial reporting focused on the arrest and charges, the case record indicates the matter was resolved through litigation. The final disposition of the first-degree murder charge against Mendoza is part of the public court record.

Christian Bandemer's name was read on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in July 2017 among a list of young people killed by gun violence in Chicago, a somber testament to a life cut short. His family continues to mourn a boy they remember as a good kid with a great smile.