Cordero Q Mosley

Cordero Q. Mosley was a 27-year-old Black man from Chicago who was remembered by friends as a loving, caring, and giving person. He had been friends with community activist Camiella Williams since they were in grade school; their mothers had grown up together. To Williams, Cordero was one of 23 loved ones she had lost to gun violence over the years. His death was another profound loss for a community grappling with the persistent trauma of street violence. Those who knew him recalled his fun personality and loving nature.

The afternoon of Saturday, March 26, 2016, was violent and brief. At about 2:10 p.m., Cordero was with a 28-year-old acquaintance in the 7000 block of South Paulina Street in Chicago's West Englewood neighborhood. The two men were walking when two other males approached them on foot. The assailants opened fire before running away, leaving behind a scene of bloodshed on the South Side street.

Cordero was struck by multiple bullets. According to the Cook County medical examiner’s office, he was shot three times in the right shoulder, once in the left shoulder, once in the back, and once in each leg. He was rushed to Holy Cross Hospital, but his injuries were too severe. He was pronounced dead at 2:28 p.m., just minutes after the attack. The 28-year-old man with him suffered a graze wound to the head and was treated at the scene. Chicago Police sources later stated that the surviving man was a documented gang member and convicted felon.

The Chicago Police Department responded to the shooting and began an investigation. Officers secured the crime scene on South Paulina Street, but the shooters had already fled. No arrests were immediately made, and police did not release descriptions of the suspects. The case became one of hundreds of homicides that detectives would investigate in a year that saw a dramatic and historic spike in violence across the city.

In the years since Cordero's death, no arrests or charges have been publicly announced, and his murder remains unsolved. His case is a stark reminder of the challenges law enforcement faced during a year when Chicago’s homicide total surged to its highest point in two decades. The vast majority of those killings were from shootings, and a disproportionate number of the victims were African American.

Cordero’s friend, Camiella Williams, has continued to speak out about the devastating impact of gun violence, often sharing photos of Cordero and others she has lost from a Facebook album she created called “Lost but not forgotten.” She recalled going to view his body, another painful ritual in a long series of losses. "I lost Cordero," she said in an interview a year after his death. "We went to school together." His memory is preserved on a gun violence memorial website where friends and family have lit virtual candles and shared memories, calling him "big bro" and recalling how he was "funny as hell."

The investigation into the murder of Cordero Mosley is ongoing. His death occurred during a violent weekend in Chicago, where at least 17 other people were wounded in separate shootings. As of the latest available reports, no suspects have been publicly identified or apprehended.