Tragedy struck on the South Side of Chicago on Sunday when two brothers were viciously shot, one succumbing to his wounds, during a chilling episode outside their high school. Eighteen-year-old Maurice Clay, a high school athlete with aspirations of one-day going pro, was killed in a brazen attack, mere moments after practicing the sports he loved.
The ambush unfolded outside CICS Loomis-Longwood High School at approximately 5 p.m. as Maurice and his elder sibling Martell Clay, 27, were awaiting a ride. An unidentified assailant emerged from a small black car, missing its bumper, and opened fire, hitting Maurice at least 15 times in his head, neck, and leg as per the Chicago Police Department report Martell, despite his valiant efforts to protect his younger brother, was shot in the foot but survived his injuries, said his brother Martell's confirmation aligns with the police data indicating he was in good condition following the incident.
According to a Chicago Sun-Times interview, the Clay family had concerns for Maurice's safety before the shooting, as he had received threats from someone at the school; Martell took it upon himself to pick his brother up from basketball practice as a precaution. In a heart-wrenching statement, Martell told the Chicago Sun-Times, "I had him in my hands," and, "I was there when he made his last breath," witnessing the tragic end of his brother's life.
The Chicago Police Department is investigating the scene where they found shell casings from two different firearms, and there was an alert about a recent student causing issues at the school reporting a possible rifle being used. Earlier on the day of the shooting, a student involved in a scuffle at the school made a threatening remark, "Have somebody on all the exits because this is not over," an ominous sign of the violence to come. ABC 7 News reported Maurice's mother, Theresa Maiz, in despair over her son's brutal death, she said, "I just can't believe this, that they shot my baby that many times, 15 times," revealing the extent of the violence her child endured.
No arrests have been made thus far in connection to the fatal shooting, as authorities continue to sift through evidence and witness testimonies to locate the perpetrator or perpetrators involved in this senseless act of violence, that cut a promising young athlete's journey painfully short and left a family grieving an immeasurable loss.
