College student waiting for mom at doctor’s visit is fatally shot, Illinois family says

Giovanni Flores dropped his mom off at her doctor’s appointment, picked up food from McDonald’s and then found a spot to eat at a nearby Chicago park, according to local news reports.

As the college student was eating his lunch and waiting to pick his mom up from Mount Sinai Hospital, his family says he was fatally shot, WGN reported.

Chicago police officers were called to Douglass Park — less than a mile from the hospital — at about 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 6, according to an incident report. They confirmed a 19-year-old man “was inside of a vehicle when he was struck multiple times to the body and head.”

Flores’ mom texted him that she was ready to be picked up at 1:15 p.m. — about 15 minutes after he was gunned down, according to the Chicago Tribune. He was already inside the hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 19 minutes later.

“Somebody took my beloved brother’s life ... ,for no apparent reason, as he was waiting for our mother outside of Mt. Sinai hospital,” Steven Flores shared on Facebook. “Anybody who knew my baby brother knew he wouldn’t hurt a fly, and he’d never do anything to deserve this.”

“He was just beginning to experience life, and he was doing everything the way he’s supposed to,” his brother continued. “He worked hard, he studied hard, and he treated everyone with respect. Now, instead of helping him prepare to enter his sophomore year at (University of Illinois Chicago) we’ll be preparing funeral arrangements.”

A cousin, Darina Villegas, described Flores, who went by “Gio,” as an “outgoing, studious, hard working, family oriented young man.”

“You truly were the light in this cruel world,” he wrote on Facebook.

Detectives are investigating the homicide, but police say no suspects are in custody.

Video obtained by police shows Flores was shot by two people inside an SUV, according to the Tribune. They drove away before officers arrived.

The shooters did not take his wallet or cellphone, according to WGN.

Anyone with additional information on the fatal shooting can submit an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com.

This story was originally published July 8, 2022 at 11:47 AM with the headline "College student waiting for mom at doctor’s visit is fatally shot, Illinois family says."