Venzel Richardson / Photo from Facebook
BY WILL HAGER
Homicide Watch Chicago
Venzel Richardson was fatally shot Wednesday night just blocks from his Woodlawn home.
Venzel, 14, was walking with two other people in the 6100 block of South Vernon Avenue when a white van drove up about 8:20 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said. Somebody inside the van then opened fire on the group, police said.
Venzel, of the 6400 block of South St. Lawrence Avenue, was shot multiple times and died on the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Nobody else in the group was wounded, police said.
Venzel was part of the Mikva Challenge, said Executive Director Brian Brady. The Mikva Challenge is a program that encourages high school students "to be active participants in the political process through elections, community problem solving and policy-making programs," according to the Mikva website.
Jelani McEwen-Torrence, Venzel's Mikva Challenge mentor for two years, said he was overwhelmed with grief when he received word of Venzel's death. Venzel would walk his nephews home every day after school before returning to take part in the program, McEwen-Torrence said.
"These children live in extreme environments," McEwen-Torrence said. "You can't categorize them by who they may be affiliated with. I want him to be remembered in a holistic way. He was a caring and courteous person."
McEwen-Torrence shared the following video Venzel and friends recorded through the program two years ago:
As word of Venzel's death spread, friends took to Twitter to express their condolences:
To wake up to news like that... Life is to short. We need to take our young people an motivate an mentor them #shocked#ripvenzel
— Shamika Jefferson (@Ms_Micka21) February 13, 2014
RiP TW Venzel . Remember this day like yesterday ! pic.twitter.com/23FofGRTuc
— KeepnUpWitMe&Yentl❤ (@xGabbytheStar) February 13, 2014
The gunman fled in the van after the shooting, police said. Nobody has been charged in the murder.
Area Central detectives are investigating if the shooting was gang-related, but Venzel's family told DNAinfo Chicago the Dunbar Vocational Career Academy student was not in a gang and was just a bystander.