Dozens Gather On West Side To Mourn Death Of Steven Rosenthal

CHICAGO, IL — Dozens of people gathered in the Lawndale neighborhood Saturday night to mourn the death of 16-year-old Steven Rosenthal, who died from a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Police said the teen shot himself at his home in the 1500 block of South Keeler Avenue after a chase Friday night, but some community members said they don't believe Rosenthal's death was a suicide.

Police said officers saw the teen with a weapon just before 7 p.m. on Friday. According to police, Rosenthal then ran when the officers tried to question him and shot himself in the head shortly after.

The teen was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, where he was pronounced dead.

Some of the community members who attended the Saturday night vigil claim police shot the teen. Rosenthal's basketball coach at Crane Medical Prep High School said in a tweet that he "heard from eye witnesses" that police shot the boy while he was running back to his grandma's house.

According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, several police cars arrived at the Saturday vigil and tried to use crime scene tape to push the crowd off the street and onto the sidewalk. The crowd chanted and pushed back at officers, asking them to leave, the Tribune reported.

Dozens of candles were laid out during the vigil on the sidewalk to spell Rosenthal's name, according to the report.

Rosenthal's aunt set up a Gofundme page in his name.

"Please help our family get justice! Help us lay our baby to rest," the page read.

Top image via Gofundme, Patch partner