CHICAGO – Household and pals are mourning the lack of a South Holland student-athlete killed over the weekend in a lethal capturing.
As they grieve, they’re additionally pleading for solutions — and justice — for 16-year-old Davell Antoine Holden III.
What we all know:
Practically 200 kinfolk and classmates gathered Wednesday night for a vigil and balloon launch in Holden’s honor.
Family members say the rising junior at Thornwood Excessive Faculty was an honor pupil and standout athlete who had desires of enjoying school basketball. However on Saturday, August 2, Holden was shot and killed at a residence close to a hundred and sixtieth Place and Drexel Avenue. In line with his mom, he was at a good friend’s home.
“My son was every part, an superior younger man,” mentioned Angela Birts, Holden’s mother. “My child was cherished by so many individuals, and that is only a testomony of it.”
Nobody has been arrested for his dying.
“First, who and why, why would any person wish to do that to my son,” Birts mentioned.
Holden additionally leaves behind a 9-year-old brother, who, his mom says, appeared as much as him in each method.
Now, Birts and her youngest son will not get to see Holden end highschool and pursue a school basketball profession.
Holden wore No. 21 for the Thornwood Thunderbirds, and on Wednesday, a crowd of friends and members of the family gathered on the faculty, the place his jersey was hung in his reminiscence.
“He had this deep ardour for basketball, and it confirmed on the market on the court docket,” Birts mentioned.
“He was actually centered on development, he needed to get higher, he needed to see us as a program get higher, so we have been actually specializing in, for him individually, his layup bundle,” mentioned Kay’Shaun Thomas.
Shut pals, like Thomas, are sharing what Holden stood for.
“Purity, effort and honesty, that is all he cared about,” Thomas mentioned. “Now we gotta put in two instances the work, as a result of now we’re preventing for a higher objective.”
Blue, white, and silver balloons stuffed the sky after these closest to Holden shared phrases of hope and energy with each other — a heartfelt sendoff in his honor.
“I actually really feel nice simply seeing how many individuals whose lives have been impacted positively by Davell,” Thomas shared. “And it exhibits how many individuals he cared about.
What’s subsequent:
The Village of South Holland and Father Michael Pfleger from Saint Sabina Church have joined collectively to supply a $10,000 reward for data resulting in the arrest of the individual or folks accountable.
You possibly can submit an nameless tip on-line or by cellphone at 833-805-0187.
