Teens killed in Grand Crossing drive-by shooting ID'd

Sarah Schulte Image
Thursday, January 7, 2016
2 dead in drive by shooting
Two teenagers were killed on the city's South Side in the Grand Crossing neighborhood.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Two teens were killed in broad daylight in a drive-by shooting on Chicago's South Side. Another teen was injured in the shooting.

Police said the teens were standing on the corner of East 76th Street and South Dorchester Avenue in the city's Grand Crossing neighborhood around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday when a car pulled up and someone opened fire from inside the vehicle.

Donta Parker, a 16-year-old boy, was shot in the head. Sakinah Reed, a 17-year-old girl, was shot in the chest. Both were taken in critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where they later died.

Another 16-year-old boy was shot in the hand. He was taken to St. Bernard Hospital, where his condition stabilized. He is expected to recover.

"This is our neighbor, our friend we see every day. She is like one of my daughters," Latrice McClain said.

Police said the two males have gang ties, but McClain said Reed did not.

"It definitely wasn't meant for her. I don't know if it want meant for anyone, but it definitely wasn't meant for her," McClain said.

"She wasn't a bad kid. She was at the wrong place at the wrong time," Britia Lacy said.

On Wednesday, neighbors set up a memorial at Reed's home. They remember her as a goofy and happy teenager who loved playing basketball and hanging out with her brothers.

"She was real, real sweet. She didn't bother nobody, didn't do nothing to nobody. She called me 'mama.' She had respect for everybody. She played basketball. She played with my grandkids. She was sweet," said Ladona Richmond, a neighbor.

"She was such a kind young lady, never in any trouble. I never called her Sakinah, I called her my pretty girl because she was so beautiful," Theresa Larkin said.

The Cook County medical examiner said an autopsy determined Parker died from a gunshot wound to the chest and Reed died from multiple gunshot wounds. Both deaths were ruled as homicides.