Ronnie Roper, 28, was reportedly shot dead just steps away from the community center of a gun violence prevention group where he worked.
A Chicago anti-violence worker was fatally shot Wednesday in a murder involving two suspects yet to be identified.
Ronnie Roper, 28, was approached by two people who shot him in the head shortly after 12 p.m. on Wednesday, according to ABC 7 Chicago.
Police say Roper was reportedly killed just steps away from the community center of gun violence prevention group Chicago, CRED (Creating Real Economic Development), where he worked, per the outlet.
Necole Muhammad, site manager for CRED, told ABC 7 that Roper’s death has “been devastating.”
“The staff is in shock and traumatized. The family is traumatized,” Muhammad said.
CRED, founded by former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, works to address gun violence in Chicago through targeted education, outreach, therapy, life coaching, and employment training, according to the group’s website.
“No matter where you live in this city we are all impacted by it, and if we don’t handle it as one community it will come knocking at your door,” Muhammad told ABC 7.
According to a statement from CRED, Roper had been with the program for the past nine months, working toward leaving behind a life in the streets. He was on his way to earning his high school diploma in 2023, per the organization.
“One of our participants was killed today as he left one of our sites. He had just written about how much achieving his HS diploma would mean to him and his family,” Duncan wrote in a statement, adding: “Devastated doesn’t describe what we are feeling.”
The organization’s statement continued that Roper’s death is a “reminder that we have so much more work to do to make Chicago a safe city with meaningful economic opportunities for everyone regardless of their background.”
“Our thoughts go to his family and friends as well our staff that has been traumatized by the loss. In his honor, we redouble our efforts to give young people at risk the chance for a safe, rewarding life.”
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