By STEFANO ESPOSITO and JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times
Lee McCollum III | Facebook
Lee McCollum III, a South Side man whose transformational story was featured in the CNN documentary “Chicagoland” two years ago, was killed early Thursday in a shooting in West Pullman.
Chicago Police found the 22-year-old unresponsive on the ground with a gunshot wound to the head at 12:37 a.m. in the 500 block of West 126th Street.
Family learned about McCollum’s death about 1 a.m. Thursday, the young man’s grandfather, George McCollum, said.
George McCollum said Thursday morning the victim's father was at the Cook County medical examiner’s office. That office confirmed that McCollum, of the 11400 block of South Yale, was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:22 a.m.
He was on his way to his job at a Wendy’s restaurant when he died, family members said.
Lee McCollum and Tiara Parks | Facebook
Lee McCollum, former prom king at Fenger High School, was portrayed in the 2014 CNN documentary as a teenager who had turned his life around. He went from street thug and gang banger to honor roll student and athlete, and was planning to attend college.
But it wasn't the first time he had been shot.
In August 2014, McCollum was shot twice in the leg shortly after leaving his grandfather’s home in Roseland, family members said.
And McCollum's girlfriend, Tiara Parks, was shot to death just three weeks ago, on April 23 in Roseland.
"Outta my whole 22 years of being on this earth I only gave my heart to a few women cuz dey ment the most 2 me in this last women I gave my heart to left with it and it and took it to heaven wit her.. Every woman made me think dey all was the same until I ment u .you showed me different in made me put the streets to the side u in my baby," McCollum posted on his Facebook page the day after her shooting.
No one was in custody for either of the killings.