Boy killed in drive-by shooting at his grandma's 70th birthday party

Horror as boy, 9, is killed in drive-by shooting at his grandmother’s 70th birthday party in Chicago – after gunman opened fire on group of kids playing outside

• Ulysses Campos was fatally shot in the chest two weeks before his 10th birthday
• His family said that he loved making people laugh and had an infectious smile 

A nine-year-old boy was tragically killed in a drive-by shooting at his grandmother’s 70th birthday party in Chicago.

Ulysses Campos was fatally shot in the chest after a gunman horrifically opened fire on a group of kids playing outside on Saturday.

The boy, who was ‘full of excitement as he was getting ready to celebrate his 10th birthday in 2 short weeks’, was playing in an alley when four to six shots were fired from a moving vehicle, Franklin Park police director Michael Witz said Sunday night.

No one else was struck by gunfire in the 10.15pm shooting, which happened in a Franklin Park neighborhood about a mile outside Chicago’s western city limits. 

Ulysses’ heartbroken uncle paid tribute to his nephew who he said loved making people laugh and had an infectious smile. He told ABC7: ‘He was just a little kid of 9-year-old who is now in heaven watching over all of us.’

His death comes amid a concerning crime spree across Chicago with 18 bodies pulled from the river and Lake Michigan in just over a year, while gas stations could be forced to close after midnight in nearby Indiana as city leaders blame the Windy City for its growing gun violence.

Ulysses Campos (pictured) was fatally shot in the chest after a gunman horrifical opened fire on a group of kids playing outside on Saturday

Family left balloons and flowers in tribute to Ulysses – whose 10th birthday was just two weeks away 

Campos said the boy loved being around family and playing video games. His father recently bought him a PlayStation 5 for his birthday later this month – the only gift the young boy wanted.

‘I would describe him as full of life,’ Campos said. ‘He loved to make people laugh. He loved to make people smile.’ 

Ulysses’ uncle described how the whole family had just returned from celebrating his mom’s 70th birthday when the gunman opened fire.

‘The utter feeling of knowing that he’s lying there and I can’t save him broke my heart,’ he said.

Pictures from the scene show a car with bullet holes through one of the windows and a makeshift memorial with balloons and flowers has been set up in tribute to Ulysses.

Ulysses was rushed to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood but he did not survive. 

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the boy was fatally shot in the chest and died just before 11pm. 

Police said a person of interest in the shooting was taken into custody, and officers found a car suspected to be involved in the shooting in nearby Leyden Township. 

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the boy was fatally shot in the chest and died just before 11pm. Pictured: A car with a bullet hole in it

The family of Ulysses, who they refer to as ‘Uly Bear’ has set up a GoFundMe to raise money for his funeral. It has so far raised $19,600, exceeding the $15,000 target.

A tree will also be planted in the boy’s honor ‘as a representation of his life and memory living on’. 

Paying tribute on the fundraising page, Ulysses’ family said: ‘He was a kindhearted, loving kid, he loved playing video games with his cousins, he had a creative imagination, and was always full of excitement. 

‘He is a beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, and cousin. He will be eternally missed.’

Although police say this is an isolated incident with no threat to the public, there is deep concern about the number of recent bodies found in Chicago which prompted a former FBI agent to warn that a serial killer could be on the loose.

Remains of 12 men and six women have been pulled from the Windy City’s waterways since the beginning of 2022. 

Ex-FBI agent Tracy Wilder told the New York Post she believes there could be a serial killer involved.

‘There’s too many coincidences,’ said Walder, who also previously worked for the CIA.

The fatal 10.15pm shooting happened on Elder Lane (pictured) in Franklin Park, about a mile outside Chicago’s western city limits

‘In a case like this, there are so many similar patterns right across the board [so] it’s not just a coincidence anymore,’ she added, citing how far the bodies have been recovered from where they were reported missing and the cases of ‘accidental’ drownings.

Chicago has seen a massive spike in crime rate, jumping up by 39 percent in 2023 compares to the same point in 2022, while it is up 85 per cent from 2021. 

There have been 38,704 crimes reported in the Windy City this year. That was up from 27,896 reported in the same time span a year earlier.

Chicago has also been blamed for a rise in shootings in the Indiana city of Hammond – which is about 20 miles away.

City leaders are considering a new law that would force the stations to shut between midnight and 5am every day. 

Hammond Mayor Thomas M. McDermott Jr. pointed the finger at residents of nearby Chicago who enter the Hoosier State for their cheaper gas and items and bring crime with them. 

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