Chicago police are actively searching for a gunman who shot and killed an Uber driver and his 18-year-old passenger on the city’s West Side Thursday evening.
According to police sources, 38-year-old Jassen Cho had just picked up his passenger, 18-year-old Damarion Johnson, after a basketball game moments before the attack.
The shooting occurred just before 8:30 p.m. in the 200 block of North Homan Avenue in the Garfield Park neighborhood. Police reported that a Hyundai Tucson pulled up next to the victims, and a male gunman inside opened fire.
Authorities stated that Cho was shot in the arm and transported to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Johnson was shot multiple times and pronounced dead after being rushed to Mt. Sinai Hospital.
Cho grew up in the Albany Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side, according to his loved ones. He was a senior financial analyst who had begun driving for Uber to earn extra income.
This weekend, the 38-year-old eagerly anticipated celebrating his one-year anniversary with his girlfriend, a milestone that tragically eluded him.
A police source informed the news that investigators later found the suspect’s vehicle abandoned and set on fire not far from the crime scene. Investigators believe that the slain 18-year-old passenger was likely the intended target, although the motive for the shooting remains unclear.
Cho’s girlfriend described him as a loving son, brother, boyfriend, and friend. The couple was preparing to move in together soon.
Family and friends are urging anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.
