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CHICAGO (CBS) — A fire turns into a homicide investigation in the Gresham neighborhood.
Police say it happened just before 1 a.m. at a home on Elizabeth Street near 79th Street.
Inside on the first floor, they found a 49-year-old man shot in the head.
CBS 2’s Marissa Parra was on the scene where our crews spotted a family gathered across the street from the home. They say their loved one lives in the building and matches the age given of the victim. They’re awaiting confirmation.
The victim is said to have lived alone in the home and was last spoken to Tuesday.
While the person hasn’t been formally identified, neighbors tell us the only person who lived at that address is 49-year-old Jermaine Waterman, also known as a leader in the neighborhood.
“Jermaine was a gentle guy. That’s all I got to say. He was the president of our block club,” said neighbor Helen Wright.
Waterman’s family got a call in the middle of the night that his apartment was on fire. They’ve been gathered outside the home praying ever since.
“So many good things, He was always there for us. was always there for us. You can call on him any time of day or night, he would be there for us. It just hurts so bad that somebody would hurt him. I can’t say anything else,” said Patricia, Mother.
“I think it’s a dream right now, and I want to wake up and say okay, it’s a dream. It’s not him,” said Ron, Father.
It’s not clear how that fire started or what led to the shooting.
Investigators will have to wait for clearance to make sure the building is even safe to re-enter.
This is a developing story.
Source: ChicagoCBS
