Last week, I went to the viewing of Darius “DJ” Lane Jr., a 16-year-old boy who was shot and killed in #Chicago on March 28.

As people filtered in through the church, they were given this program that had a tribute written by his 9-year-old sister.

DJ’s best friend, Frank Looney, also 16, was shot and killed in October. DJ watched it happened. He didn’t like to talk about death much, but he said he didn’t want to die young. He wanted to get his family out of the hood.

But at 11 a.m. that Saturday, he was walking back to his grandmother’s house from a store when someone rolled up on him. He was hit multiple times.

Twenty-three .9mm shell casings were at the scene.

His grandmother was with him as he died.

“It hurt everybody because they see him laid out on the streets, and it’s not only his friends,” his mom said. “It’s the whole community.”

His mom wanted me to share his story so people will remember DJ and also understand how his death has affected their community. They’re broken. They haven’t had time to heal.

“They’re taking death after death,” she said. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-friends-killed-chicago-violence-20200414-axmnauy7mzdx5pdab7zsgbfjlm-story.html?outputType=amp&__twitter_impression=true