Emoni Atomah, 23, was shot in the chest while standing in the parking lot across from the church at about 11:35 p.m, police said. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital, according to police.
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Just hours before the shooting, St. Sabina Church hosted a peace march in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and to remember Chicagoans killed by gun violence.
"I'm going to be on a tirade until this person is caught, whoever did this," said Father Michael Pfleger. "This is a good kid."
For the past two years, Atomah was a member of St. Sabina's Strong Futures Program, which connects young black men to employment.
"We are talking about a young man who came to us homeless and is now maintaining a one-bedroom apartment by himself," said John Harris, the victim's mentor.
Atomah lived in the apartment building across from the church. He worked at a car wash and was set to begin a full-time job at Home Chef next week.
Atomah was also enrolled in college classes. His Futures Program mentors call him a success story.
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John Harris and Elijah Maxey said Atomah was a calm, humble, driven man who was determined to make it.
"He was very steadfast on what he wanted to do," Maxey said.
No one at St. Sabina has any idea who killed Atomah.
Pfleger said surveillance video shows him running down the street, asking for help after he was shot.
"It's a horrible ending to a beautiful story," Harris said.
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Pfleger has offered a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
Chicago police officers are asking for help to find the shooter.
The department posted a plea for information about the deadly shooting on Twitter Thursday night.
Area South detectives are investigating. No one is in custody.