CHICAGO, IL — A tragic act of gun violence has claimed the lives of two Chicago teenagers and left another man injured early Wednesday morning in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood. Authorities identified the victims as 16-year-old Devajae “DJ” Christopher, also known as “Lil Spazz,” and 17-year-old Tamarion West, known as “Stewie.” The incident adds to a growing string of shootings involving youth across the city.
According to the Chicago Police Department (CPD), officers were called to the 8100 block of South Marshfield Avenue around 8:00 a.m. after receiving a report from someone claiming to have been shot. When officers arrived, they entered a residential building and found a horrifying scene. A 16-year-old male was discovered on a second-floor back porch with multiple gunshot wounds to the head. Despite efforts by emergency crews, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Inside the apartment, officers found blood throughout the unit and several shell casings, suggesting a violent and chaotic confrontation. As they continued their search, police located a 17-year-old male lying in a hallway, also suffering from gunshot wounds to the head and chest. He, too, was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities later confirmed that both victims were teenagers who lived in the neighborhood and were known to each other.
On the third floor, officers found a 21-year-old man hiding under a bed, bleeding from a gunshot wound to his arm. He was transported by the Chicago Fire Department to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and listed in fair condition. Police also found a 13-year-old boy hiding inside the apartment, who was unharmed but left deeply shaken. Detectives are working to determine whether the younger boy witnessed the shooting.
Neighbors reported hearing gunfire between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m., hours before the bodies were found. One resident told investigators that after hearing multiple gunshots, they gathered their children and began praying. Witnesses also reported seeing three men running from the building shortly after the shooting. As of Wednesday evening, no arrests have been made, but detectives believe the victims and suspects may have known each other.
The CPD Area Two Bureau of Detectives is leading the investigation. Officials urge anyone with information to contact (312) 745-3610, submit tips anonymously at CPDTIP.com, or call Cook County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-535-STOP (7867). The heartbreaking incident marks the third fatal shooting involving Chicago teens in just 24 hours, deepening the city’s concern over youth gun violence.