MARQUETTE PARK — Activists and concerned neighbors are offering $10,000 for information on the men who shot a 71-year-old man who was watering his lawn in Marquette Park earlier this month.
Federico Laguardia was watering his front lawn at 12:10 p.m. on Sept. 6 in the the 7000 block of South California Avenue when two men on bikes pointed guns at him and demanded his wallet, police said. He refused, and one of the robbers shot him in his abdomen before fleeing.
The incident was captured on a neighbor's surveillance video and has been played on television stations across the country and heavily shared on social media.
RELATED: Activists Plea To Marquette Park Residents After Shooting: 'Turn Them In'
Laguardia was released from the hospital and returned to a family member's home Thursday. His son, as well as representatives from more than 15 faith and community groups gathered at Laguardia's home to call for peace in the neighborhood.
The group is also offering a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest in the case, said Rami Nashashibi, of the Inner-city Muslim Action Network.
"We're heartbroken and tremendously angered" over Laguardia's shooting, Nashashibi said.
A son of Laguardia, Frederick Laguardia, told reporters he was outraged over the incident, describing his father as a devoted husband and father and a good neighbor for 28 years.
“The simple truth is, my father is a friendly, sober, increasingly uncomplicated man," the son said.
The son admitted he wants to move his parents from the city.
"Personally I want to take my parents far away, put them somewhere no harm will never come to them again. But moving out won't change that he was shot. After this trauma, my once open-hearted father told me that he will now have to be suspicious of every person that passes by," he said.
Still, said the son, "I want to show him there are good people still in this city not moving out of it," crediting people who helped get his father to the hospital and the medical workers who cared for him there.
Frederick Laguardia said the problem of street violence won't come from Chicago Police alone.
"Change has to come from within the community," the son said, asking anyone who knows anything about the shooting to call police.
Laguardia lives across the street from Marquette Park, a major recreation spot on the South Side. The fact that the shooting took place in broad daylight near the park and busy streets was extremely concerning to neighbors.
Marquette Park is also known for its ties to Martin Luther King Jr's legacy. The civil rights icon marched through the park in the 60s, and the 50-year-anniversary of the march was celebrated this summer.
In the name of King, Nashashibi said he and other activists felt the need to stand up to the violence that oppresses black residents on the South and West sides.
"In the spirit of King, we want to make sure its not just another community where acts of violence take place without people standing up," Nashashibi said. "The community is filled with people who work with one another, who are committed to have a peaceful neighborhood."
Laguardia is recovering and is "in good spirits," Nashahibi said. Neighbors and activists are working to quell his fears about returning home and to the scene of the shooting, he said.
"It is very natural to be angry and concerned about rejoining the block," he said. "Hopefully we'll be much more comfortable."
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