NORTH LAWNDALE — Since James Bell was killed by gunfire in July, Donna Bell has been sleeping in his bed every night.
"I've been waiting for him to come home and tell me, 'Momma what are you doing in my bed? You know your bed is over there,'" she said.
The younger Bell, 26, was killed by gunshots on July 14 in the 1100 block of South Whipple Avenue, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Bell admits her son was in the drug trade, but didn’t believe he was a member of a neighborhood gang. He was convicted in 2004 of possession of a controlled substance, according to court records. He was also convicted of aggravated DUI, records show.
Bell lived in North Lawndale his entire life, first attending Bethune Elementary School before dropping out of Manley High School.
While unemployed, Bell had the responsibility of being his family’s caretaker, his mother said.
“He was my only son,” Donna Bell said. “My son was the man of this house. He took care of me and the family. He did what a man was supposed to do around this house.”
