Grandson of US Rep. Danny Davis Shot, Killed in Englewood

Police say a fight over gym shoes might have sparked the deadly shooting

The grandson of U.S. Rep. Danny Davis died after he was shot Friday evening in the Englewood neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, a spokesperson for the congressman told NBC 5.

About 6:45 p.m., the boy, 14, was inside his home in the 5600 block of South Princeton Avenue when a group of males forced their way inside, police said. During a dispute that followed, possibly over gym shoes, one of the males pulled out a gun and shot the teen in the head, police said.

"We have very good leads on suspects and we'll be following those throughout the night," Anthony Guglielmi, a Chicago Police Department spokesman, said in an email.

Family identified the boy as Jovan Wilson, a sophmore at Perspectives Charter School, whose grades had recently improved.

Davis gave a statement hours after the shooting, confirming that his grandson had been killed.

"I do know that I grieve for my family," he said. "I grieve for the young man who pulled the trigger, I grieve for his family, his parents, his friends, some of whom will never see him again."

Davis said two of Wilson's brothers, 14 and 8, a sister, 16, and an uncle were all in the home at the time of the shooting. Wilson's mother had left the house to get some food, he said.

Davis questioned where the gun came from and how the shooter was able to obtain it. He said better education, supervision and parenting might have prevented his grandson's killing.

"Here he was in the house, in his home, minding his own business and some intruders would come and snuff his life away," Davis said.

Stacey Wilson, father of the slain teen, also spoke of the emotional strife he and his family were enduring.

"I'm very saddened and I'm very hurt right now," he said. "I have other children and I need to be strong for them."

Area South detectives were investigating Friday night.

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