CHICAGO, IL — In the quiet of an early Friday morning, Santiago Aquino checked in on his 15-year-old son, Jerry, as he slept. It was a fleeting moment of peace before tragedy struck later that day, culminating in an act of violence that would forever alter the Aquino family.
Describing the shock of losing his son, Santiago, 38, spoke with profound grief and disbelief. Jerry, not just his son but also his best friend, was unexpectedly taken from him. The events that unfolded later that Friday afternoon seemed like a horrible dream from which he could not awaken.
At approximately 5:10 p.m., Jerry was navigating the streets of his neighborhood in Little Village, just steps away from his home, when a black Jeep Grand Cherokee emerged from an alley without a front license plate, turning its ominous presence onto Komensky Avenue where Jerry walked. What followed was a sudden and brutal attack; a passenger in the Jeep began firing shots at him.
Attempting to escape, Jerry sprinted north but was quickly struck by the bullets. In a desperate bid to find cover, he crawled and tried to hide behind a parked car. The assailants were relentless; the shooter exited the vehicle to pursue him on foot, continuing to fire shots as the driver also began to shoot. Dressed entirely in black, with masks and gloves, the shooters eventually sped off, leaving the young teen on the ground amidst a chaotic scene captured by both public and private surveillance.
The area, marred by used shell casings of differing calibers, soon became a crime scene. A local resident reported hearing five to six shots. Jerry was swiftly transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his life tragically ended at 6:13 p.m. An autopsy later confirmed he died from multiple gunshot wounds, and his death was declared a homicide by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Jerry, who had been returning from welding training, was remembered by his father as an aspiring individual who unwittingly became a victim of his surroundings. “He was alone, he was walking by,” Santiago recounted the ordinariness that turned deadly. “He didn’t pay attention to who was around him.”
The motive for the shooting remains unclear, and the attackers are yet to be apprehended, leaving the Aquino family in anguish and seeking justice. “I want to see who did it and why,” Santiago expressed, emphasizing the importance of accountability.
Beyond the immediate sorrow, the future looks uncertain for Santiago and his family, who had been planning to buy a larger home to better accommodate their growing children. Jerry leaves behind his parents, a 17-year-old brother, and an 8-year-old sister.
In his short life, Jerry found joy in soccer, idolizing famed Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo and playing for his local Marquette Park team, coached by his father. Described as having curly, long hair, dark eyes, and a budding mustache, Jerry was a student at Infinity Math Science & Technology High School and cherished by those who knew him.
As Santiago faces the reality of his drastically changed family dynamic, he reflects on a world that now feels “very different” without his son. In mourning, the Aquino family holds onto their memories of Jerry, a young life ended too soon on the streets he grew up on.