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Suburban Teen Shot 4 Times While Visiting Back Of The Yards For Christmas

By Sam Cholke | December 29, 2016 2:29pm | Updated on December 30, 2016 11:39am
 Michael Moss, 15, has been in intensive care at Comer Children's Hospital since being shot four times on Dec. 19.
Michael Moss, 15, has been in intensive care at Comer Children's Hospital since being shot four times on Dec. 19.
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HYDE PARK — The family of a 15-year-old suburban boy who was shot four times while visiting relatives in Chicago is asking for help as the honor roll student lies in intensive care.

Michael Moss, a student at Glenbard East High School in Lombard, was shot on Dec. 19 in Back of the Yards. The teen, who is black, told relatives several Hispanic men in a car yelled the n-word at him before firing. 

He's now in ICU at Comer Children's Hospital in Hyde Park, and his relatives say they are trying to raise money for his recovery.

Brenda Herron said Thursday she became Michael's guardian three years ago and moved him to DuPage County from Chicago to escape the violence in the city. She said the family has struggled over the holidays going back and forth from their home and the hospital at 5721 S. Maryland Ave.

“Christmas was terrible for us, but in some ways it’s good because Michael is still breathing,” Herron said Thursday.

The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for Herron’s hourlong drives twice a day to and from the hospital and to help Moss recover.

At 4 p.m. on Dec. 19, Michael was visiting family for the holidays when he was shot four times in the 4800 block of South Ada Street, according to the family and police reports.

Herron said Michael was walking back from the McDonald’s at 1454 W. 47th St. to redeem gift certificates he'd received from classmates at Glenbard East when he was shot in the chest, arm and twice in his side.

“Michael told me he never wants to eat McDonald’s again,” Herron said. “He says every day that he wants to come home.”

She said Michael has thrived in the suburbs and has been consistently on the honor roll, but he won’t be able to rejoin his teammates on the basketball team for some time, though his condition has stabilized.

Blair Gray, a spokeswoman for the family, said city officials need to do more to stop the violence, which is rare in suburban Lombard.

“Violence is not OK, killing is not OK, gang activity is not OK — Michael’s family is not OK,” Gray said.

The family so far has raised $200 toward a $10,000 goal on the fundraising site.

Police said no one is in custody for the shooting, and the investigation is ongoing.