A mother on Thursday was mourning the loss of her only child — and best friend — who authorities say was shot to death at the family home in the Englewood neighborhood.
Cordell Bass, 16, was shot about 4 p.m. Wednesday in the 6000 block of South Carpenter Street. Chicago police said Bass and a 16-year-old friend were inside the home when someone from outside opened fire, hitting the home with bullets — some of which penetrated the building and struck the boys, police said.
Bass’s mother, Dominique Atkins, said the two teens were on the front porch when the shooting occurred.
Bass suffered a gunshot wound to his chest and was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 4:26 p.m., officials said. The other 16-year-old boy was shot once in the right leg. He also was taken to U. of C. Medical, where his condition was stabilized, police said.
Atkins said she was in the house on the second floor when she heard gunshots ring out and was instantly worried because she knew Bass was on the porch. Her nephews also were outside playing.
“By the time I got downstairs, Cordell was in the hallway holding his chest, and he fell,” she said. “That’s when I started seeing the blood.”
Police said detectives are investigating the shootings.
The boys were among at least four teenagers shot Wednesday into Thursday, including a 15-year-old girl shot in a separate attack.
Atkins said Bass was under “house arrest” since May after being arrested for an incident that involved an abandoned gun in an alley. Chicago police Thursday could not immediately provide information about the incident.
Atkins said her niece’s significant other had been shot several months ago in the shoulder while at the same home on Carpenter, and she suspected it was the same shooter who killed her son.
Atkins’ three nephews — ages 2, 5 and 6 — were outside when the shooting began Wednesday afternoon. The two older boys fell on top of the 2-year-old to protect him. Soon after, her 18-year-old niece, who was also in the home, went outside and grabbed the 2-year-old to get him to safety. Atkins said the three young boys are too young to really comprehend what happened. They were not injured.
Atkins said Bass went to Englewood STEM High School and enjoyed reading. He also liked to play basketball and football and dabbled in music. When a music industry family friend was in town, Bass would go into the music studio with him.
“He liked to laugh and joke,” Atkins said. “That was my best friend, that was my memory. I’ve been through so much, and that boy has always been there for me. And then they came and took him from me.”
Bass turned 16 on March 4, and was supposed to go in for early orientation at the high school on Thursday. He was going to be a sophomore, and planned to attend school in person. Bass loved to eat Rice Krispies Treats, sushi, and soft chocolate chip cookies, and he enjoyed playing his PlayStation in his free time.
Bass and his 18-year-old cousin were very close, and were raised like brother and sister, Atkins said.
Atkins and her son have been in the Chicago area for two years.
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“He wanted to be an army man like my husband, and he wanted to play basketball,” she said. “But of course all of that was cut short.”
Atkins said her son and the 16-year-old boy who was also injured had been friends since the eighth grade and were very close.
The 15-year-old girl was shot later in an unrelated shooting in the Lithuanian Plaza neighborhood and was one of three people injured in that shooting at about 11 p.m.
All three people were standing on a front porch in the 6900 block of South Campbell Avenue when someone they didn’t know came running up and shot at them. The teen girl was shot in her right arm and she was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in fair condition, police said.
Also hit was a man, 35, with a gunshot wound to his torso who was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in serious condition and another man, 39, who was shot in the left leg and taken to U. of C. Medical in fair condition.
Early Thursday, in another unrelated shooting, an 18-year-old man was shot, according to police.
The teenager was standing in a backyard in the 300 block of West 110th Street in Roseland about 12:45 a.m. when someone shot him.
He was hit in the back and his right foot and he was taken to Advocate Christ in Oak Lawn, where he’d been listed in serious condition.
No arrests had been made in any of the shootings, police said.
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