From grief to action: Friend's death at Chicago teen takeover fuels push for youth-led violence prevention
Chicago teen takeover deaths inspire youth-led change with initiative that 'attacks the root cause'
After a teen takeover turns deadly, some teens go home while others are left mourning friends lost to violence. FOX Chicago's Tia Ewing introduces GoodKids MadCity's Isaiah Williams and Fabian Walker, who transformed their grief into action with a plan to help curb youth violence.
CHICAGO - For Isaiah Williams and Fabian Walker, conversations about teen takeovers aren't political—they're personal.
When asked if he had lost friends at a young age, Williams didn't hesitate.
"Yeah," he said. "That's a big reason why I'm in the organization I'm in today. The man on my chain... he passed away."
Walker shared a similar story.
"Who he just said... then today... my other brother, Def D. I've lost three."
One of the friends Walker is referring to was shot and killed during a teen takeover in March 2024. That shooting changed everything for him.
"I stopped going," Walker said.
Williams and Walker said they never attended teen takeovers looking for trouble. They went to spend time with friends, meet new people, and be part of the crowd. But after losing people close to them, they decided to take a different path.
Peace Book
Dig deeper:
Today, both are members of Good Kids Mad City, a Chicago-based youth organization advocating for the Peace Book.
First introduced in 2022, the Peace Book is a youth-led violence prevention proposal designed to train young people in conflict resolution, de-escalation, restorative justice, and trauma-informed care. Supporters believe trusted youth can intervene before arguments escalate into violence.
"The Peace Book attacks the root cause," Williams said. "Offering mental health resources... peacekeepers... and job opportunities."
The proposal has been discussed at City Hall since 2022 but has not yet been adopted.
Supporters argue that young people are often more willing to listen to peers who understand their neighborhoods and experiences than to outside authority figures.
FOX Chicago asked Williams how the Peace Book could have changed the outcome if trained peacekeepers had been present at a teen takeover.
"With peacekeepers... knowing how to de-escalate... you can prevent fights from even starting," he said.
Whether the Peace Book ultimately becomes city policy remains to be seen. But for Williams and Walker, the mission is clear: prevent other young people from experiencing the kind of loss that changed their lives.
The Source: The information in this report came from interviews with Isaiah Williams and Fabian Walker of Good Kids Mad City.