A Chicago community continues to grieve as Tyshawn Lee, the 9-year-old boy who was killed execution style last week, was laid to rest today.
Investigators say that Lee was lured into a Chicago alley on Monday, Nov. 2 and fatally shot by suspected gang members. According to police, Lee may have been a targeted because of his father’s alleged gang-related activity. No one has been arrested.
“This casket is so small, it doesn’t make sense,” an unidentified relative told the Chicago Tribune. “It’s half the size of a normal one.”
Nine-Year-Old Boy Lured Into Chicago Alley, Shot and Killed
Lee’s funeral drew hundreds of mourners, who arrived at St. Sabina Catholic Church earlier this morning. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel briefly attended the services, and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was also present.
Family members and friends say that the fourth-grader was a bright student who loved basketball and Spongebob Squarepants.
“Tyshawn was creative, artistic, charming and helpful and had an imagination out of this world,” Alene Mason, Lee’s elementary school principal, said to the Chicago Tribune. “He taught us how to strive for perfection every day.”