Vigil honors 18-year-old basketball player; Uber driver also shot to death in Garfield Park ID'd

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Loved ones gathered Saturday to remember a high school basketball player killed while riding in an Uber on the city's West Side.

Damarion Johnson, 18, and the Uber driver, who relatives identified as 38-year-old Jassen Cho, were shot and killed just before 8:30 p.m. Thursday in the 200-block of North Homan Avenue in Chicago's Garfield Park neighborhood.

Johnson spent years with Project sWISH Chicago, a basketball program for inner city youth. He's now the second teenager with the group killed by gun violence since November.

Members of that program gathered Saturday in Homan Square Park to remember one of their own with a balloon release and vigil. His family and friends are remembering a life that had so much promise.

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Each dribble and skillful fade away made by sWISH members on Saturday was for one of their own who no longer can make an impact on the basketball court.

"This is the place where they fellowship every Saturday, right? So, this Saturday is no different, except we're not here celebrating with him. We're celebrating for him," Project sWISH Chicago founder McKinley Nelson said. "Hope the family doesn't mind, but we took it upon ourselves to put this memorial together for our little brother."

Members of Project sWISH Chicago came together alongside Johnson's family at Homan Square Park to remember him in an emotional balloon release.

"He was telling me that he was about to go home, going to call me, and I, basically, said, 'Okay,'" Johnson's cousin Rejiveon Hudson said. "Then after that happened, I got the news that this happened, and I was completely devastated."

Security video obtained by ABC7 showed the moments when a gray SUV pulled up beside Johnson's ride before someone in the backseat of the SUVleans out of the window and opens fire on the white car, killing the teenager and the driver, who relatives identified as 38-year-old Jassen Cho. He was a financial analyst, DePaul University grad and Albany Park native who drove for the rideshare company as a side job and died days before celebrating his one-year anniversary with his girlfriend.

The shooting happened before the high school student, who attended Christ the King Jesuit College Prep, was supposed to commit to a college with a full-ride basketball scholarship.

"The tragedy of this whole thing is that we had an official visit set up in a couple of weeks with a school in Wisconsin," said Troy Caldwell, head varsity basketball coach at Christ the King Jesuit College Prep.

"This is really an unfortunate situation," said Jason Sanford, Interim Chicago Deputy Mayor of Community Safety. "We're working hard. The Chicago Police Department, working on the investigation."

SEE ALSO | Project sWish Chicago hosts '29 Hours of Peace'

"We wanted to push each other to be the best that we can," Hudson said. "We wanted to make it out with this basketball stuff. But, I'm going to keep on pushing just for his name."

Police have not given a motive behind the shooting, and so far, no arrests have been made. Uber says it is working closely with law enforcement.

"There are no words to describe this tragic loss of life, and our thoughts are with the victims' loved ones during this difficult time," an Uber spokesperson said in a statement. "We're doing everything we can to support police during their investigation, and we hope those responsible are brought to swift justice."

The founder of Project sWISH Chicago told ABC7 the mayor's office has agreed to pay for Damarion Johnson's funeral expenses.

Grief counselors are available at Johnson's high school.

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