CHICAGO, IL —A corner once filled with hope and prayer was marred by violence Monday night, when a shooting near 79th Street and Cottage Grove left a 33-year-old man in critical condition and a 15-year-old boy wounded. The tragic incident occurred just steps away from the site where the community recently gathered to celebrate the transformation of a troubled space into one of promise and healing.
According to the Chicago Police Department, officers responded to reports of shots fired near the intersection shortly after nightfall. The adult victim was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, while the teen suffered less severe injuries and is expected to recover. An investigation is now underway, and no arrests have been made as of Tuesday morning.
The shooting casts a dark shadow over what had become a beacon of change. Just two weeks ago, this very corner witnessed a powerful moment of renewal when Pastor John Hannah of New Life Covenant Church Southeast led a citywide prayer walk called “Prayer on the 9.” The event marked the symbolic end of “Happy Foods Liquor,” a long-criticized business known for contributing to blight and crime in the area.
During the prayer walk, the liquor store’s sign was removed and replaced with a new vision for the neighborhood: “The Corner of Life”—a project led by Pastor Hannah aimed at turning a historically violent intersection into a center of faith, healing, and community restoration. The event drew hundreds, including local residents, church members, city officials, and even the Mayor of Chicago, all hopeful that this corner’s story was changing.
Monday night’s violence serves as a stark reminder of the challenges still facing the community.
“We declared life over this corner,” said a resident who participated in the prayer walk. “But transformation doesn’t happen overnight. We’re in a battle for peace—and we’re not giving up.”
Pastor Hannah is expected to speak to the community in the coming days and reaffirm the church’s mission to reclaim the space through faith, service, and continued presence.
In the meantime, authorities are asking anyone with information about the shooting to come forward. Tips can be submitted anonymously to Chicago Police through the CPD Tip Line or online.
As the investigation continues, residents are left mourning another senseless act of violence, even as they cling to the hope that this corner can still become what they prayed it would be: a place of life, not loss.
