21-Year-Old Dead After Shielding Mother From Bullets During South Chicago Shooting

A 21-year-old man from Chicago has died in the southside of the city as he shielded his mother from an array of bullets during a shooting.

The Chicago Tribune reported that, according to family members, James Jones was killed on 12:02 p.m. on Saturday as he was on his porch on South Colfax Avenue alongside his mother. An unidentified man is believed to have approached from a gangway near to Jones’ home carrying a gun and then opened fire.

As the bullets were fired towards Jones’ home, the 21-year-old immediately dove to protect his mother, Alicia Jones. Dietra Luckett, Alicia Jones’ sister and James’ aunt, explained to the aforementioned publication, “He used his body to shield her, to save her.”

According to My Fox Chicago, Luckett added, “My sister just so happened to be coming out the front door. He took his body and put it on top of her body. He covered her body.”

Police have claimed that James Jones was the intended target of the shooter’s bullets, and they’ve stated that his death is being treated as gang-related. After being shot, Jones was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Alicia Jones was struck by one of the bullets and has since undergone surgery at the same hospital. However, family members have yet to inform Alicia Jones that her son is dead.

James Means, James Jones’ stepfather who was in the house at the time of the attack, admitted that while he was saddened by the 21-year-old’s passing, he was also concerned about the others who were in the home at the same time. This included a 4-year-old.

Means added, “I’m just glad it wasn’t my wife. I’m just glad it wasn’t my grandbaby, ’cause he was in the house too.”

Unfortunately for Alicia Jones, this is just the latest in a long line of tragedies and deaths that have befallen her family because of Chicago violence. In 2006, 19-year-old Antoinette Means was murdered while working at a KFC in South Side as it was being robbed.

Four-year-old Curtis Jones, Jr. was killed back in 1994 after a Molotov cocktail was thrown into their home. He was Antoinette Means’ half-brother. This means that three out of Alicia Jones’ four children have died in these circumstances.

James Jones had previously been arrested for selling drugs and was also on parole for attempted burglary too.

[Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images]