Adam Toledo would have celebrated his 14th birthday on Wednesday.
But tomorrow, his family will stand in front of a mural of Adam, who was fatally shot by a white Chicago police officer in the early hours of March 29 on the city's West Side, to announce the creation of Adam's Place, a rural sanctuary for at-risk youth.
"A year ago, his family celebrated with pizza and cake," Adeena Weiss Ortiz and Joel Hirschhorn, lawyers for the Toledo family, said in a statement Tuesday. "This year, as they struggle with their grief, Adam's parents and siblings are dedicating themselves to helping other families prevent the excruciating sorrow that comes from the loss of a child."
Videos released last month by Chicago's civilian police watchdog agency revealed 34-year-old officer Eric Stillman was responding to reports of shots fired in the Little Village neighborhood when he encountered Adam and chased him down an alley. According to the videos, Adam tossed a gun behind a fence before turning to face Stillman with his hands up. Stillman fired in less than a second.
"Adam was a loving son and a good boy, who had never been in trouble with the police. Despite his parents' best efforts, he snuck out of the house the night he died, lured by older youth and the thrill of the street," the lawyers said. "Even as the Toledo family seeks justice for Adam, they also know that many families in their community and elsewhere struggle to keep their own children out of harm's way."
