In a heartbreaking twist no family should ever face, instead of helping their son pick out a sharp tuxedo for prom, the loved ones of 18-year-old Damarion “DJ” Johnson are now choosing the clothes he will wear in his casket. The promising high school basketball star’s life was violently cut short in a senseless drive-by shooting in Chicago’s West Side on a Thursday evening in May 2026.

Johnson had just finished what he loved most — playing basketball at the gym. Sweaty and smiling after hours on the court, the senior at Christ the King Jesuit College Prep stepped into an Uber, excited to head home. Minutes later, tragedy struck. A gray SUV pulled alongside the car near North Homan Avenue in East Garfield Park. A gunman inside opened fire in a barrage of bullets, striking both the young passenger and the driver.

Damarion “DJ” Johnson was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital but succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds. The driver, 38-year-old Jassen Cho, was hit in the arm and pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital. Two strangers, connected only by a short ride, became forever linked by one of the city’s latest acts of gun violence.

DJ was more than just an athlete. He was a bright, ambitious young man with dreams that stretched far beyond Chicago’s streets. Friends and mentors described him as dedicated, always showing up for weekly basketball programs, spring break trips, and community events through Project sWISH Chicago, an organization that uses sports to steer youth away from violence. He was on the verge of signing a full-ride scholarship to play basketball at a junior college in Wisconsin and had been eagerly preparing for prom and graduation — milestones his school will now mark with an empty chair and heavy hearts.

Jassen Cho, a DePaul University graduate and financial analyst from Albany Park, had been driving for Uber as a side gig for about six months to earn extra money. He was a devoted partner, looking forward to celebrating his one-year anniversary with his girlfriend in just days. That night, he was simply doing his job — getting a kid home safely after practice. Instead, he never made it back.

The shooting has left Chicago’s West Side reeling once again. Community leaders and youth programs mourn not only the loss of a talented player but another painful reminder of how quickly promise can be erased. Vigils have already gathered, with friends sharing stories of DJ’s infectious energy and bright future. His family and Cho’s loved ones are left grappling with questions that may never be answered: Why them? Why now?

As the city prepares for another round of graduations and celebrations, this tragedy forces a sobering reflection. How many more young lives filled with potential — and how many hardworking adults just trying to provide — must be lost before the cycle of senseless street violence is truly confronted? For now, a basketball court sits quieter, a family plans a funeral instead of a prom, and an entire community wonders who will be next.