73-year-old man fatally shot while driving in North Austin

CHICAGO (FOX 32 NEWS) - A 73-year-old Naperville man was killed early Friday in the North Austin neighborhood leaving a friend's house.

As his adult children try to make sense of what happened, they are remembering their father's efforts to do something about all the violence.

Ron Allen was a man who cared for others in many ways according to his daughter and two sons. Careless shots fired at his vehicle at 2:20 Friday morning struck and killed Allen as he was heading home from a friend’s house. His SUV crashed into two parked cars.

His family said he had been in the neighborhood he grew up in, playing his favorite card game, Bid Whist, which he even wrote a book about.

Allen, a long time insurance agent and Chamber of Commerce member was also passionate about the Cubs and his Unity Partnership which sought to bring police and community members together for the sake of peace.

“We are really all concerned about the same problem, it's not a police issue it's not a community issue it's really an anti-violence issue so it's kind of ironic that this is exactly what happened to him today,” his son, Keith Allen said.

Vera Bass, Allen’s daughter, said that he was all about giving back to the community.

“You know he raised a Marine, an educator, and a lawyer and we're all about giving back to the people that we work with and that was his calling to work to bring people together,” Bass said.
Ron Allen had been married to his wife Carol for more than 50 years. His family is not seeking vengeance, but they do want justice.

“We are willing to work with Chicagoans to go ahead and do what is necessary, in a peaceful fashion, to go ahead and bring our father’s killers to justice,” his son, Mark Allen said.

Police said there is no one in custody and at this point they don't have a motive for the shooting although they are looking at robbery as a possible reason.

Allen was carrying a large amount of cash but his children said that wass not uncommon.