CHICAGO — Before 22-year-old Richard Johnson was gunned down during a bloody Chicago weekend in August, he was about to become a father of twins, his family said.
His girlfriend was pregant with a boy and a girl at the time, and Johnson was a proud expectant dad, said his mother, Angie Simmons.
“He used to go with her to every one of her ultrasounds and doctor appointments,” Simmons said.
Johnson, who lived in suburban Aurora, was visiting a friend in Bellwood before going into the city the night of Aug. 15, Simmons said.
Johnson was in a car in the 500 block of South Kilpatrick Avenue in Austin when shots were fired at the vehicle, according to public police data. His friend was also wounded by gunshots, but survived, Simmons said.
As far as she is aware, her son wasn’t in a gang, but a victim of a random act of violence, said Simmons.
He was a high school graduate, Simmons said, and was thinking of eventually going to trade school to get certifications in heating and air conditioning.
“He had a real good sense of humor,” Simmons said, “He was a real sweet guy; everyone loved him.”
Though he was only 22, Johnson identified with his elders.
“If he came to dinner at your house, he would have a conversation with the older people,” Simmons said, “They would take to him real quick.”
No one was arrested in the killing, according to public police data.
