“It shocked me deeply”

WOODLAWN – The godson of Corey Brooks, a South Side pastor who spent years protesting and raising funds to combat violence in Chicago, was shot and killed this weekend.

Christion Tucker, 21, was shot multiple times Saturday while inside a vehicle in the 7200 block of Washtenaw Avenue in Chicago Lawn, Brooks and police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene and no one is in custody, police said.

Tucker was scheduled to begin work at Brooks’ nonprofit, Project HOOD, this week, the pastor of New Beginnings Church told the Sun-Times. Brooks could not immediately be reached for further comment but wrote about Tucker in his newsletter on Tuesday.

“This young man was not just another statistic – he was my godson, someone I loved deeply,” Brooks said in the newsletter. “The pain of this loss is indescribable and has shaken me to the core.”

Brooks, also known as the “Rooftop Pastor,” has gained attention through two extended camping trips on the roof of a Woodlawn motel and on shipping containers.

The campouts were designed to raise awareness of gun violence in the community and to raise money for Project HOOD’s planned community center near Parkway Gardens at 66th Street and King Drive.

The center will include social, health, economic, extracurricular and other programs designed to support the nonprofit’s mission to “break the cycle of poverty, violence and incarceration,” officials with the organization said.

Brooks on Wednesday called on supporters to donate to Project HOOD in Tucker’s name “in lieu of flowers” following Tucker’s murder.

“As a pastor, I have worked for years to bring hope and healing to our community, but moments like this remind me of the personal cost and ongoing necessity of our mission at Project HOOD – to provide safety, opportunity and hope to those who need it most,” Brooks wrote.

“This fight against violence is very personal to me and I am more determined than ever to fight for the safety and well-being of our community. I know that together we can ensure that no family has to endure the pain of losing a loved one.”

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