By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire
Fourteen-year-old J-Quantae Riles, who was shot to death late Saturday in the Southwest Side Gage Park neighborhood, had recently moved back to Chicago from Virginia with his pregnant mother and younger sister.
J-Quantae was walking home from the store with a group of friends in the 2200 block of West 59th Street about 9:30 p.m. when shots rang out, according to Chicago Police and anti-violence activist Andrew Holmes, who spoke with the boy’s mother Sunday.
The teen was found dead on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to the back, authorities said. Holmes said it’s unclear if the shooting was a drive-by. The teen’s friends ran off when they heard the shots.
J-Quantae Riles | family photo
J-Quantae’s mother had recently moved the teen and his 7-year-old sister back to Chicago from Virginia, Holmes said. She is six-months pregnant with twins.
“She moved there to enhance their quality of life but it didn’t work out, so she returned back here,” Holmes said.
“She thinks it’s her fault because he got shot, but I explained to her it’s not her fault,” Holmes said. “She’s totally upset. She’s totally traumatized.”
Holmes asks anyone with information about the shooting to call Operation Restoring Innocence at (800) 883-5587 or Chicago Surviors at (312) 488-9222.