Neighbors remember “Pepe,” man shot and killed in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood over weekend

One of the seven people who lost their lives to gun violence in Chicago this Labor Day weekend had become a community fixture in the Pilsen neighborhood.

The man, known only as Pepe, was a man of many mysteries. Neighbors did not know his full name, his birthplace, or if he had a home of his own.

But Pepe had a place in their hearts.

“It broke my heart because he didn’t do nothing,” said neighbor Marlene Cabrera. “It was nothing like that.”

Cabrera said she saw Pepe the day before he was killed. She brought a candle to the growing memorial set up for him.

“It’s very nice to see that people knew him, and people actually like care,” Cabrera said.

Neighbors said they believe Pepe was an innocent bystander caught in crossfire — killed in one of two shootings near the intersection of 17th Street and Wolcott Avenue, just one block and several minutes apart.

Videos posted on social media captured shot after shot — what would be dozens rounds — and some people running on video.

Another angle of video shows some of the gunmen with their firearms drawn.

The videos were shared among neighbors — some of whom said the gunfire spilled out of a building operating as some sort of recording studio or event space.

The neighbors are pushing for change, and remembering the man they knew as a fixture in this neighborhood.

“He was very liked,” said Dan Buchanan. “Everyone even that night was just talking about how happy and giggly he was.”

Buchanan was with his friend Pepe just hours before the shooting. Photos from that night show Pepe’s giggly smile.

“It’s heartbreaking, because yeah, he was one of the sweetest, like peaceful dudes ever,” said Buchanan. “He didn’t bother anybody. He never asked for anything. People gave him stuff, but he never asked.”

Buchanan said neighbors are raising money to give Pepe a proper service should no family step forward, and calling for a change to end the shootings.

“Just some kind of message to people that like, you know, it doesn’t matter who you are,” said Buchanan. “He was a really good dude. He wasn’t not involved in any of this, and he was just minding his own business, and it happens — and like, this stuff happens to stop.

Neighbors said they are sharing those videos with the alderman’s office and pushing for a change. Staff members for Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) said the alderman was in the area earlier and did receive reports of an unlicensed event space — something into which the alderman’s office is looking.