As Jean Montilla approached the shrine honoring her slain 13-year-old daughter, an eerie calm enveloped Kedvale Playground in West Humboldt Park on Saturday night.
Children stopped swinging. Teens stopped dribbling basketballs. Adults muted their conversations.
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A dozen friends and family members huddled around Montilla as she gazed at the 14 votive candles that illuminated the color photographs of her daughter. Tears flooded her face.
No one spoke a word.
The placards surrounding Montilla revealed why the group had gathered: “No More Killing,” “Stop Drive By Shootings.”
Montilla and community members gathered Saturday at the playground to call for peace and action in the wake of the drive-by shooting of Montilla’s daughter.
Vanessa Montilla was killed Thursday by a bullet that police said was aimed at a gang member. The Pulaski Community Academy 8th grader was playing basketball at the playground when a car drove up and someone opened fire. Vanessa tried to run away but was hit in the neck. Two men, who police say are gang members, have been charged with murder in the shooting.
“I don’t want people to forget her or to forget how she died,” her mother said, choking back tears. “She was an innocent little girl. She should have been safe on this playground.”
Residents, ministers and elected officials marched through the West Humboldt Park community, waving “Stop the Violence” banners and chanting, “We want a drug-free community.” A group of 50 began the march at the Walgreens store at Grand Avenue and Pulaski Road, growing to more than 120 members as it wended its way through the neighborhood.
As the group approached the playground where Vanessa lost her life, the half-dozen teenage boys playing basketball joined the prayer circle. Tears flowed freely as several clergymen spoke.
“We ask you, O Lord, to come walk our mean streets and turn away the violence and the drugs and the gangs,” shouted Rev. Dave Flynn, pastor of One Way Church of God and Christ. “Protect our citizens. Protect our children. And help us find a way to save them. They should not die this young.”
Rosa Juarez brought her three young sons to the vigil, in part, to show them the horrifying path gang membership can lead to.
“I want them to see this and see all this sorrow so they will know to stay away from these gangbangers,” Juarez said. “Kids think gangbangers are the tough guys and they want to be like them. Now they can see what these gangbangers can do to a family and a community.”
Laura Leon, director of Nobel Neighbors, said she wants elected officials and the Chicago Police Department to take a more active role in healing the community.
“Our community has been afflicted with warfare, gangs and drugs, and we need to work together to bring our community back in control of the working families,” said Leon, an organizer of the march. “But we can’t do it without the help of our leaders.”
Leon and other community leaders want more programs for area youths, more jobs and increased law enforcement. They want police to shut down liquor stores that sell to minors and want federal officials to be more accountable for the housing that they subsidized.
Anibal Romero, 23, who was at the park when Vanessa died, said he wants to make sure she did not die in vain.
“We want the elected officials to make Chicago work,” Romero said. “We need to make the gun laws stricter. You’ve got 14-year-old kids out there with automatic rifles, and that isn’t right. There is too much killing going on.”