Reward increased for tips leading to arrest in 2023 Hillcrest High School shooting

COUNTRY CLUB HILLS - The reward money for any information leading to an arrest in the deadly homecoming football game shooting at Hillcrest High School in Sept. 2023 has been increased.

Country Club Hills police and family members of Marshawn Mitchell, 14, who was killed in the shooting, spoke Friday afternoon.

An additional $3,000 is being added to the reward money, totaling $18,000.

Mitchell, of Hazel Crest, was leaving the Hillcrest Hawks varsity football game against Oak Forest Bengals when gunfire rang out around 9 p.m., Sept. 15, in the area of 174th Street and Pulaski Road.

Mitchell was shot in the chest and taken to an area hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

No arrests have been made yet in connection with the deadly shooting.

RELATED: Hillcrest High School shooting: 14-year-old fatally shot after Homecoming Football Game

Mitchell's mother, Amanda Lenoir, spoke during Friday's press conference, pleading for anyone with information to come forward.

"I'm here to be the voice for my son and bring awareness that it's been five months and there is still no one in custody for this crime," Lenoir said. "There were hundreds of kids there when my son was killed. This crime should have been solved a long time ago."

She said Mitchell was her only son and "the only thing she had in this world."

"All he wanted to do was play football and he was robbed of his dreams. My son didn't deserve to be killed like this. He was only 14 years old, still a baby," Lenoir said.

Mitchell's cousin, Hope Thomas, also spoke during the conference. She spoke about her cousin's spirit and how much his passing has affected her family.

"I just want to say, we come from a close family and sometimes cousins can turn into sisters and brothers and much more when you're really close. So, this is hard for everybody in our family and I just want to speak on Marshawn's spirit because I want everybody to know that he had an amazing personality and that he was full of life since the time he was 2 years old. Marshawn was meant to be somebody in this world and that was taken from him."

Anyone with more information on the shooting or the suspects involved is urged to contact the Country Club Hills Police Department at 708-798-3191 or anonymously at 708-206-2899.