Chicago: Republican Congressman's 15-year-old grandson shot dead in 'home invasion'

The 15-year-old grandson of US Congressman Danny Davis (Rep) has been killed inside his home in the notorious South Side of Chicago. There have been over 600 murders in the city in 2016 (to 18 November) and Davis has called for more help for the city to avoid further tragedy.

The teenager, Jovan Wilson, was reportedly inside his home in Englewood with his uncle and several siblings when two teenage assailants forced their way in on Friday evening (18 November). According to Chicago Police Department the men were arguing over a pair of trainers when one produced a handgun and shot him in the head. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene. No-one has yet been arrested. Jovan's mother had left the house to get some food.

On his way to Area South police HQ at 727 E. 111th St. Davis told the Chicago Tribune in a phone interview that Jovan, a sophomore at Perspectives Charter School, was a normal teenager. "He was a typical 15-year-old," said Davis. "He liked basketball. If you listened to him he was a basketball star, but he liked basketball and music. All those kinds of things. He was an avid sports fan, he knew all about... the stats of different players."

Englewood has one of the highest crime rates in the city but Chicago PD said they were optimistic about catching the assailants. "We have very good leads on suspects and we'll be following those throughout the night," said police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi in an email (published by NBC).

Congressman Davis, who represents the 7th Congressional District where Jovan was killed, said the city needed more help to tackle the spike in gun crime. "We need to improve our schools," he told the Tribune. "We need to make sure that there are enough schools and after-school recreational, job activity to keep young people busy and engaged and all of those things ... and his being shot is just simply a manifestation of the tremendous urban crisis that we are facing in Chicago."