A Chicago man was fatally shot in a parking lot while he was in the middle of a Facebook live stream on the city’s West Side. According to a video – viewed almost two million times – on the social media platform, 42-year-old Kevin Watson can be seen getting out of a car. Just seconds later, gunfire goes off. Chicago Police has since revealed that the man was initially sitting in a car when another vehicle approached him. Someone from inside the other car eventually opened fire.
Watson has since succumbed to his injuries, and sadly passed away. The Cook County Medical Examiner confirmed his identity. What’s even more shocking is that the deceased man’s close family and friends ended up witnessing the spine-chilling shooting incident, considering it was also caught on camera due to Watson’s then-ongoing live stream.
Kevin Watson’s final moments before fatal shooting caught on Facebook live
According to ABC7 Chicago, the 42-year-old man was visiting his cousin’s jobsite in the neighbourhood on August 13. Kevin, who went by the alias Tugg, was seen wearing dark shades and a large chain with the name during the live stream. The initial moments of the video indicated that he started filming it after he got into the car, as he eventually began ranting about a parking issue.
The harrowing video shared online then captured an unsettled Watson reacting to an unidentified gunman and raising his hands in the air. “What’s up bro?” he blurted out before leaving his car. “What’s up? Hell na,” he was heard off camera. Just seconds after Watson exited his car, a gunshot changed everything.
People at the scene subsequently ran to check on Watson, who had fallen outside his vehicle. As per the police, the Chicago man was hit in the chest. He pronounced dead upon being rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital.
What do we know about the Chicago shooting suspect?
Although not much has been released on the alleged shooter, US reports suggested that Watson may have known the gunman. A witness told ABC7, the 42-year-old was “trying to wrestle” the gun out of the other man’s hand when it went off.
As of now, no arrests have been made in connection to the Chicago shooting. The motive behind the tragedy has yet to be given.
“He was choking for breath,” the deceased man’s cousin, Jacquez Smith, told the outlet. Having watched her cousin’s suffering in the parking lot, she added, “I wouldn’t have let him walk out the store. He was a good man. No matter what he done, he helped people, you know? He helped me get this job in here.”
The outlet quoted relatives saying that Watson has left behind a 6-year-old son. The 42-year-old man was killed just weeks before his own birthday.