On Labor Day, 15-year-old Swaysee Rankin became one of 42 tragically shot, among the seven killed in Chicago. According to a police report obtained by the Chicago Tribune, Swaysee had already survived one shooting in 2021, and even previously saved 10-year-old La’Mya Sparks' life in a separate shooting incident.
In October 2020, La’Mya was shot at Russell Square Park, and Swaysee promptly applied pressure to her wound using his shirt, staying with her until paramedics arrived. Swaysee's heroic act was recalled by his stepfather in an interview with the Tribune six months later.
Sadly, Swaysee became a victim of gun violence himself at age 13 when someone in a vehicle opened fire on him, his friend, and his cousin as they walked on the sidewalk. The incident left him with gunshot wounds to the back and abdomen, requiring surgery to repair his stomach and intestines. His mother, Ashley Jackson, told the Chicago Sun-Times at the time that the shooting appeared to be random.
This Labor Day weekend, Chicago police reported that seven people were killed and 42 injured in shootings. As of Tuesday, September 5th, 2023, no suspect had been taken into custody and the investigation was still ongoing.
At the time of La'Mya's brush with a shooting, her mother, Shawnta Williams, described the mental and emotional impact the shootings have had on her daughter in an interview with the Sun-Times. According to Williams, La'Mya is still traumatized by the sound of gunshots and is working on healing mentally from the traumatic experiences she has endured.
Today, Sparks' mother said of the young hero, "He wrapped the shirt around her wounds and now he's been shot??"
