Little Village community gathers to remember Adam Toledo, call for release of bodycam video
CHICAGO - There is anger and sorrow as questions linger over the Chicago police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo.
The boy's family is pushing back against public comments describing him as a "lonely child of the streets."
Toledo is being remembered by his mother as a loving and caring teenager with a big imagination, curiosity and someone who could make everyone laugh.
On Monday night, the community came together in Little Village to honor his memory and demand that the bodycam video be released.
Dozens of white balloons were released into the sky in honor of the 13-year old shot and killed by police one week ago.
"Having a life taken of one of our 13 year olds in our neighborhood is unacceptable," said Pastor Matt DeMateo.
Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown says at about 2:36 in the morning on March 29th, ShotSpotter detected eight gunshots in the 2300 block of South Sawyer in the Little Village neighborhood. He says when officers arrived, they found two males in a nearby alley.
"Both males fled. One was armed with a handgun," Brown said.
Brown says a foot chase ensued, which resulted in "a confrontation in the alley."
He says the officer fired his weapon, shooting Toledo in the chest. A gun was recovered and Toledo was pronounced dead at the scene.
"Let's be clear, an adult put a gun in a child's hand, a young impressionable child and one who should not have been provided with lethal force, a weapon that could and did irreparably change the course of his life," Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.
The attorneys representing the Toledo family shared a statement about their concerns of presumptions made Monday, saying in part, "We do, however, want to correct the hurtful and false mischaracterization of Adam as a lonely child of the street who had no one to turn to. This is simply not true."
COPA has said it will release video of the fatal shooting at the earliest point possible, but no later than 60 days after the incident.
The family has called for peace after reports of possible gang retaliation.
So far, a GoFundMe page for Toledo’s memorial fund has raised more than $49,000.