Mark Anthony Plambeck was a happy, goofy young man who loved all things sports and was dedicated to his daughter, his friends and family said Thursday during a rally calling for justice in Plambeck’s death in Steger.
“He was enjoying life at 23, just joyful,” Plambeck’s father, Mark Plambeck Sr., said. “He had this big, silly smile.”
Plambeck Sr. said at first, he didn’t believe a friend’s call telling him that his son had been shot in the back and killed.
“You’ve got the wrong Mark,” Plambeck Sr. said he thought. But as more calls came in, he learned more about the narrative being put forward about his son and his death.
Steger police said Plambeck was killed Sept. 17 on the 3000 Block of Butler Avenue as the result of a possible home invasion, as officers were told an “unknown male” entered the residence, leading residents to lock themselves in a room for safety.
As of Friday, no charges were filed against the person who Plambeck’s family and friends believe killed him, court records show. Plambeck’s family said he was not unknown to the residents of the home he entered, as his girlfriend lived there.
Steger police Deputy Chief Pete Fajman declined to comment Thursday on the shooting death of Plambeck beyond a Sept. 17 statement, as the investigation is ongoing.
Close to 50 people gathered at Chicago’s Daley Plaza, 50 West Washington St., to call for first-degree murder charges to be filed against the shooter, who they claim is known. They were led by Rabbi Michael Ben Yosef, an anti-gun violence advocate and founder of the Chicago Activist Coalition For Justice.
Yosef led chants in front of the office of Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke and asked Plambeck’s family and friends to express their love for Plambeck and remain vigilant in demanding the person who shot him be held accountable.
“Mark can’t be here to defend himself,” Yosef said. “Mark needs all of you. He needs all of you to be his voice until the end.”
Plambeck Sr. said he respects Steger police’s request to allow the department to continue with its investigation, but is concerned about what he believes is a false narrative put out about his son. Plambeck Sr. said friends of his who have lost their children to gun violence didn’t get the accountability they hoped for, and he is intent on making sure his family sees justice.
“We have to keep the pressure on this investigation, because if not it’s just going to disappear,” he said.
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