Shooting in Chicago: Gardener killed on Low Avenue in West Pullman ID’d; The starting rapper was also fatally shot, the mother says

CHICAGO (WLS) – An identified gardener killed in a shooting at West Pullman that also killed a 26-year-old rapper on Saturday afternoon.

64-year-old Larry Purnell has died at Christ Hospital, the Cook County Forensics Department said.

The grief over Brendan Slater’s mother, who was also shot in broad daylight, is unimaginable.

Diane Archer is trying to figure out that almost five months after burying one son as a result of gun violence, she has to bury another.

“We just cooked dinner for Mother’s Day, as I always do,” said Archer, the mother of the younger victim. “He was a novice rapper. Everyone knew him as “Benji”. He tried to do good, he had a son. “

Slater was killed when he and his friend left the West Pullman home in the 11600 South Lowe Avenue neighborhood around 2:45 p.m. Saturday.

This is a house that was in the midst of preparations for the big Mother’s Day celebration on Sunday. These preparations included hiring Pernell to come and mow the lawn.

“He was cutting the backyard. He was called to cut the backyard because of tomorrow’s big holiday,” said Pastor Donavan Price, a defense attorney for the victims.

Related: Chicago shooting: 15 shot dead, 3 deadly, weekend violence, CPD says

According to detectives who were at the scene, Purnell seemed to come out of his back after hearing the initial shot. He received a blow to the chest and later died at Christ’s Hospital.

“I’m so tired of this nonsense,” Archer said. “Something needs to be done.”

The motive for the shooting has not been determined.

According to the first reports of the police, a car drove up to the house. Someone got out of the car and opened fire right on Slater.

But even as the Chicago Police Department reported a reduction in both shootings and killings in April from last year, some anti-violence supporters said they were concerned about what they had seen on the streets over the past couple of weeks.

“It’s almost summer numbers, but we’re not summer yet,” Price said. “But what do we expect when summer really comes and people really get a chance to get out?”

According to police, Slater’s 27-year-old companion was also injured when he received one shot in the leg. He is now recovering in Christ Hospital.

There were no detentions as of Sunday morning.