WICKER PARK — Carlos Fernando Mariño, 34, was full of love for his family, his 64-year-old father, Carlos Mariño said.
"He was a good man, and a good father," Marino said.
The 34-year-old, who went by Fernando, was shot in front of his home in Wicker Park in the early hours Saturday. That morning, family and friends gathered around a sidewalk memorial.
Around 1:45 a.m. Saturday, Fernando, of the 1700 block of West Pierce Avenue, was sitting on the porch with a few friends when someone wearing all black walked around the corner from an alley and started shooting, police and family said.
After hearing at least three gunshots, Mariño, 64, looked out the window and saw his son on the ground.
"I came downstairs with a towel to try to help," his father said. "But I knew in my heart he was dead. He wasn't responding, and I couldn't feel a pulse."
Fernando was shot in his chest and shoulder and taken to John H. Stroger Hospital where he was later pronounced dead, police said.
"We really don't know who it was, or could have been," his father said.
Neighbors were surprised by the shooting in an otherwise quiet neighborhood. Some said they heard four or five gunshots in short succession early Saturday.
"It kind of freaks you out because this is a pretty calm neighborhood, " said Drew Maurer, 35, who's lived in the area since 2012.
"It's sad, our feelings go out to the family," he said. "We just hope justice is served."
Another neighbor who heard the gunshots said she was shocked to hear about the homicide.
"It's unfortunate, and horrible," said Orli Korrub, 26, who moved to the block in September. "There's a bunch of families who live on the block, and you shouldn't be scared to walk in your neighborhood."
Britni De Leon, 29, said hearing about the death was "scary and disheartening," especially since she's walked near the shooting site.
"I consider this a really safe neighborhood," De Leon said.
A few hours before the shooting, Fernando was spending time with his 15-year-old son.
"We were watching television and having a good time," his son, Carlos Xavier Mariño, who goes by Xavier, said. "Then he dropped me off at my aunt's house, and the last thing I told him was that I loved him."
His family described Fernando as loyal Chicago sports fan, especially of the Bulls and the Cubs.
According to his son and father, Fernando had been working at Meade Electric for several years, and was about to start classes in August to ensure up-to-date certifications for his job.
"He worked a lot," his son said. "Night shifts, morning shifts, overtime. He worked to support his family."
Fernando's son got a call from his grandfather around 3 a.m. to break the news.
"My grandpa told me that my dad was dead," Xavier said. "I couldn't believe it, I was bawling."
"He was never satisfied and always wanted to do better," Xavier said of his father. "He was my hero, I always wanted to be like him."
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