The Chicago community is mourning the death of Jahmere Collins, a 17-year-old boy who was fatally shot Friday morning in the city’s Austin neighborhood.
According to Chicago police, Collins was found with a gunshot wound to the back of his head at approximately 9:15 a.m. Friday, August 7, 2026, in the 4900 block of West Washington Boulevard. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police have not announced an arrest in connection with the killing, and detectives from Area 4 are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Authorities have not publicly identified a motive or released information about a possible suspect.
Collins was only 17, making his death another devastating loss for a family and community now forced to grieve a young life that ended unexpectedly.
A fundraiser established by Denise Campbell, who identified herself as Jahmere’s grandmother, described the family as heartbroken by his death. The fundraiser says Jahmere’s parents, Ryan and Shay, are now facing the unimaginable task of burying their son and seeks financial assistance for his funeral and burial expenses.
Jahmere’s death has also drawn attention to a young life that extended beyond the circumstances of the shooting. Records indicate that a Jahmere Collins competed in athletics for Chicago Marshall, including participating in high-jump and pole-vault events. It has not been independently established that those athletic records refer to the same Jahmere Collins who died in the shooting, so they should not be treated as confirmed biographical details.
Funeral arrangements have reportedly been announced. According to an online funeral notice, a wake is scheduled for Friday, August 21, from 10 to 11 a.m., followed by a funeral and celebration of life from 11 a.m. to noon at Neighborhood Church, 1817 Washington Blvd., Maywood, Illinois. Burial is expected to follow at Oakridge Cemetery in Hillside.
For Jahmere’s family and friends, the days ahead will be marked by grief, remembrance and the painful reality of saying goodbye to someone whose life was cut short at just 17.
The investigation remains active, and anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact Chicago police.
Jahmere Collins will be remembered by his loved ones as more than the circumstances surrounding his death — as a young person whose life mattered to his family and whose loss has left an immeasurable void.
