Effort Begins To Raise Reward For Capture Of Moms’ Killer

CHICAGO, IL — A group of mothers who work to take back a troubled street corner from gangs in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood have started a GoFundMe campaign to raise reward money after two of their own were killed in a drive-by shooting July 26.

Andrea Stoudemire, 35, and Chantell Grant, 26, were shot to death at a bus stop across the street from Stoudemire’s house in the 7500 block of Stewart. The slain women had devoted the last two years of their lives to Mothers/Men Against Senseless Killings, or MASK, a group of parents that are working to end the cycle of gun violence in the South Side’s most violence-prone neighborhoods.

Just before 10 p.m. last Friday, Stoudemire and Grant were found wounded by gunfire on the sidewalk. A witness told police that a blue SUV drove by and opened fire, according to news reports. The women were brought to University of Chicago Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead. Both died of multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner. Grant was from the Chatham neighborhood, while Stoudemire lived on the block where she was shot.

MASK founder Tamar Manasseh is organizing the online fundraiser. Manesseh said neither woman was involved in gangs or “associated with the wrong people.” They were merely in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“The murder of a woman brought us to our corner on 75th & Stewart so there's no way we're going to let the murder of more moms drive us away. We deserve to live without fear and the young women, Chantell Grant and Andrea Stoudemire, who were torn from their children [and] families tonight, deserve justice.

“No [one’s] gonna save us. We must do it ourselves to make a difference.”

Manasseh wrote that in the past three months, three young women — all mothers — have been shot within a hundred feet of where MASK members engage in "positive loitering." Since the group was founded, MASK has invested in building a school and community resource center.

The online fundraiser set a goal of $5,000. As of Tuesday morning, donations had reached $8,235. Contributions can be made to #StandAgainstFear. All donations are tax-deductible.

Since the shooting, some people are said to be afraid to come forward and speak publicly, WGN reported.

“At this point, I don't know if I'm more afraid for my life or what we are giving the children, our block and the entire community over to if our fear convinces us to leave our corner, abandon our mission, our school, and our people. Therefore, WE AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE.

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