The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has concluded that a man discovered deceased outside an abandoned school in Gresham earlier this year took his own life with a gunshot wound. The 25-year-old was found by a laborer working at the closed Access at Perspectives Calumet school, located at 8131 South May, on March 8. Chicago police initiated a death investigation following the discovery, waiting for the medical examiner’s report, which has now been finalized.
The circumstances surrounding how long the man’s body remained undiscovered are unknown. The area had previously been covered by ShotSpotter technology, a gunfire detection system that was deactivated by Mayor Brandon Johnson in September of last year. Despite widespread opposition from aldermen, citizens, victim advocates, and even the police superintendent, Mayor Johnson stood firm in his decision to dismantle ShotSpotter.
This article is part of the “Brandon’s Bodies” series, which aims to highlight cases where the absence of gunshot detection technology may have impacted the outcome of investigations involving shooting victims. The criteria for inclusion in this series are incidents where a victim was found outdoors in an area previously monitored by ShotSpotter, either without any 911 calls reporting gunfire or with calls that did not lead to the timely discovery of the victim.
Editor’s note: Case #13 has been removed from the series as of May 21, 2025, after the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the individual’s death was the result of a fall from a height, ruling out foul play.
