Mother of man fatally shot in Roseland loses 2 sons to gun violence

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Thursday, May 14, 2015
Mother loses 2 sons to gun violence in less than 1 year
Two men were killed and a third was critically injured in a drive-by shooting on Chicago's Far South Side.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Two men were killed and a third was critically injured in a drive-by shooting on Chicago's Far South Side.

Police said three men were sitting in a car near 107th and Wentworth around 8 p.m. Wednesday, when a vehicle pulled up next to them and someone inside opened fire.

Shamari Salter, 19, of the 0-100-block of East 100th Place, was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene at 8:08 p.m., the Cook County medical examiner's office said.

Terrance Canady, 19, of the 11300 block of South Stewart, was shot in the head and abdomen and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. He was pronounced dead at 11:22 p.m., the medical examiner's office said.

The third man in the car with them was shot in the chest. He was also taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where he is listed in critical condition.

Shamari Salter's mother, Stephanie Franklin, said she has lost two sons to gun violence in less than a year.

"Not again. Not again. I just buried my oldest child last year," Franklin said.

Franklin said Shamari had a two-year-old daughter. He was trying to enroll in college and thinking about joining the Marines. But instead, she said he's joining his brother in heaven.

Shamari's brother, 23-year-old Schaquille Salter, was killed in a drive-by shooting last July. No one has been caught for either crime.

"I hope nobody else has to go through what I went through. My kids was born and raised in Roseland. But they were not Roseland," Franklin said.

Kenetha Brown, a family friend, said she doesn't understand why someone would have shot Shamari.

"He was so nice. He never bothered anybody," Brown said.

Community activist Andrew Holmes said anyone with information about the shooting Wednesday night needs to speak up.

"Don't point the finger at the mayor and the police department. Point the finger at us in this community and stop and open up your mouth," Holmes said.

Franklin said she is hearing different things about a possible motive in her younger son's death. One involves a dispute with a girl. But she is still looking for answers.

Area South police said the investigation is ongoing.