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Chicago family still seeks answers after St. Rita senior killed in 2009
A Chicago family is still searching for answers nearly 18 years after David Hresil was killed on his way home from St. Rita of Cascia High School.
CHICAGO - David Hresil’s family is still searching for answers nearly 18 years after he was killed while walking home from school in Chicago’s West Lawn neighborhood.
Family seeks answers in 2009 killing
The backstory:
Hresil was 18 years old and a senior at St. Rita of Cascia High School when he was killed on Jan. 8, 2009, in Chicago’s West Lawn neighborhood.
His family says they have spent years wondering who killed him and why, questions that remain unanswered.
"When I look at his smile, I feel happiness because he was a happy kid," his sister, Linda Hresil, said. "He really loved life."
That life was cut short as Hresil made his way home from school. His family had plans to see him later that afternoon.
His mother, Monica Hresil, said she was at a laundromat when she received a phone call telling her to get home right away.
Hresil was shot 12 times near 60th Street and Springfield Avenue, his family said. He was found on the sidewalk with shell casings scattered around him.
"Why would somebody shoot somebody 12 times? I just couldn’t understand it at all," his mother said.
Police said witnesses reported seeing a 1990s four-door Chevrolet Suburban fleeing the scene moments after the shooting. His family says they still have no answers about who was responsible or what motivated the killing.
His sister said the family has considered several possibilities, including mistaken identity, but never learned what happened.
The loss continues to affect the family nearly two decades later. Hresil never had the chance to build a family of his own or watch his nieces and nephews grow up.
"I always tell my kids, I wonder what kind of uncle he would be to you guys," his sister said. "He’d be amazing."
His mother said she often wonders what her son might have accomplished if he had lived.
What's next:
Now, the family is asking anyone who may have information about the killing to come forward, even if it seems like a small detail.
"If anyone knows anything, if you could see the pain me, my daughter and my whole family are going through," his mother said. "I would hate to see any family have to deal with what we have to go through. It’s torn our family apart."
His sister said she continues to pray for justice and hopes the person or people responsible will eventually be held accountable.
What you can do:
Cook County Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information can call 1-800-535-STOP (7867). Tipsters can remain anonymous.
The Source: The information in this story came from the Hresil family, Chicago Police Department and Cook County Crime Stoppers.