The 15-year-old Andrew Powell was taken off life support Friday afternoon.
The shooting happened in the 7200-block of South Hermitage in the city's West Englewood neighborhood.
"He's the sweetest teenager I've seen in a long time," said Ramona Jamison, Powell's aunt.
Jamison spoke lovingly of the nephew she just lost to gun violence. He remained on life support for hours.
"He's on breathing tubes and stuff like that so he's just trying to fight to survive," Cachareal Johnson said of her cousin earlier.
But Andrew Powell's fight for life ended this afternoon after he was shot in the head by an unknown attacker as he stood on the front porch of his family's home just before midnight Thursday midnight and talked to his sister and friends.
"He just came on the porch and gunshots rang out and he was the innocent one who got hit. He was a good kid, honestly," said Bryant Snipe, Powell's cousin.
Police say it appears the 15-year-old was not the intended target of the shooting that may have been sparked by an earlier argument between two other groups of men.
"The detectives are out canvassing the area. There's little to go on at this point but we appeal to the community to come forward if they have any information," said Deputy Superintendent Steve Peterson, Chicago Police Department.
His family says Andrew Powell was an A and B student at Perspectives Charter High School who loved to play video games. He had been raised by his Grandma Betty who's battling throat cancer ever since losing his father to prostate cancer last year and his 36-year-old mother to a drunk driver in 2000.
As family and friends examine the signs of the violence that claimed Andrew's life, those struggling with his death hope something positive can come from the tragedy.
"A lot of family is upset and a lot of friends are upset. They're angry that this happened to him when it could have happened to anybody else," said Alexa Garlington, friend.
Grief counselors were at Andrew's school Friday and expected to return next week.
Police say they are looking for four men. They are working with witnesses to identify the suspects.
