UPTOWN — The pastor of an Irving Park church attended by the man fatally shot in a gang-related shooting this week said relatives were still coming to grips with his death Friday.
Shando Valdez, pastor of New Jerusalem Baptist Church, said friends and family were coping with the murder of 21-year-old Leonardo Matias, who police said was not the intended target in a shooting across the street from Truman College Tuesday.
"I am caring for the family and, respectfully, everything else that is happening here is the most important at this time," Valdez said. "We are extremely overwhelmed with the logistics of things we have to do here."
Funeral services for Matias are planned for Monday at the church, 3859 N. Central Park Ave., in Irving Park. A viewing is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and the memorial service will start at 7 p.m.
Matias — "Leo" to his friends and colleagues — was shot in the back of the head around 10 a.m. Tuesday across the street from Truman College, in the 1100 block of West Wilson Avenue, after shots were fired from inside a black four-door sedan heading west on Wilson, according to the police report. Matias was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital for surgery and died the following day.
A co-worker who asked not to be named said Matias was on the job when he was caught in what police believe was a gang-related shooting.
The co-worker said the company services fire extinguishers and safety equipment, and Matias had just started two weeks ago. Matias was out to service fire extinguishers at the Wilson Hotel, 1124 W. Wilson Ave., when he was shot.
"He was a nice guy," she said. "It was tragic; we couldn't believe it."
Valdez said Matias was a graduate of Steinmetz College Prep in Belmont Cragin, and was an outstanding soccer player.
Valdez said he and Matias' family hope to meet with the person who was the shooting's intended target: "We’ll just share our thoughts, which are not vengeful. We want to just continue to do what Leo would have done, which is to encourage him to leave that destructive lifestyle and not allow his past to determine the rest of his life.”
The shooting was near Truman College, and officials said they sent an emergency alert to the campus "making them aware of the incident and encouraged students, faculty and staff to take advantage of the social and emotional supports offered by the college wellness center."
There was no lockdown on campus because "the offenders were observed to have left the scene."
Police said they are investigating the incident and have surveillance footage of the shooting, as well as multiple shell casings. Anyone with information is asked to contact the 19th District CAPS office at 312-744-0064.
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