CHICAGO — An 18-year-old man was found murdered, shot multiple times and lying alone in a Far South Side alley early Saturday morning, even though nobody reported hearing gunfire in the area.

The victim, who remained unidentified, was wearing a ski mask when officers responding to a “person down” found him in the 13000 block of South Avenue M around 1:18 a.m.

About five shell casings were located at the scene, which was behind a neighborhood bar frequented by Chicago cops and firefighters.

Until last September, the 13300 block was included in areas covered by the city’s ShotSpotter gunfire detection system. Mayor Brandon Johnson disconnected the technology as of September 23, going against the wishes of most aldermen, the majority of city residents, and CPD Supt. Larry Snelling.

Ald. Peter Chico (10th), a former Chicago cop, represents the area where Saturday’s victim was found. He was among the City Council’s two-thirds majority that tried to keep ShotSpotter active last year. Chico recalled firsthand experiences when, as a police officer, ShotSpotter helped him find injured gunshot victims when no one had called 911.

Brandon’s Bodies

As of 12:01 a.m. on September 23, 2024, Chicago terminated its relationship with ShotSpotter, a gunfire detection system deployed in 12 of the city’s most violence-impacted neighborhoods.  Mayor Brandon Johnson stubbornly refused to reconsider his decision to dismantle ShotSpotter, even though the vast majority of aldermen, many citizens, victim advocates, and his handpicked police superintendent requested that it remain in place.

This reporting series, named “Brandon’s Bodies,” seeks to document cases of shooting victims and police investigations that could have benefited from gunshot detection technology.

The general criteria for inclusion are a gunshot victim found outside in a location previously served by ShotSpotter with either (1) no accompanying 911 calls about gunfire or (2) calls about gunfire in a general area that did not lead to the timely location of the victim.