Chicago shooting in Brainerd kills 80-year-old retired tow truck driver sitting in car

Thursday, January 30, 2025
Chicago shooting in Brainerd kills 80-year-old retired tow truck driver sitting in car
A Chicago shooting at 90th and South Bishop in the Brainerd neighborhood killed an 80-year-old man. Family identified him as James Stroud, a recently retired tow truck driver.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- An 80-year-old man was killed in a drive-by shooting Wednesday morning on the city's South Side, Chicago police said.

The shooting happened at about 10:03 a.m. in the 1400-block of West 90th Street near South Bishop in the Brainerd neighborhood, police said.

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Police said the victim, who has been identified by family as retired tow truck driver James Stroud, was sitting in his car when a vehicle pulled up behind him. Someone in the vehicle then opened fire, shooting Stroud in the head and back.

He was taken to Christ Hospital where he died, police said.

The victim's family is grappling with why this happened and pleading with the public to help them get answers.

"He was a great guy," his son James Stroud Jr. said. "I would never would never have expect this to happen to him or anything like this to happen to anybody."

Family and neighbors are shocked by the brazen crime.

"I just talked to my dad last night," Stroud Jr. said. "I just don't understand. My dad was a good guy. He just retired and was pretty much just living his life."

"Just to hear about it, it's disturbing to my spirit and I don't like it at all," said neighbor Delois Williams. "That could be somebody's father, grandfather."

Stroud's family said he did not live on the street where the shooting happened, and they don't know why he was there. Stroud Jr. is now hanging onto the memories and lessons his dad shared with him.

"Whoever did it, I hope justice is served because my dad was a good guy," Stroud Jr. said. "That was cowardly, whoever did that... I just hope that if anybody seen anything just to let the police know."

No one is in custody and an investigation by Area Two detectives are investigating. Stroud's family is pleading for anyone who may have seen something to tell police.

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