peace walk – Loved ones and classmates of 17-year-old Pedro Ramirez marched Thursday from Tilden High School to a vigil in Back of the Yards, calling for justice after he was killed while walking to school.
More than 40 people stepped into the morning quiet near Tilden High School on Thursday, then carried it with them as they walked toward a vigil in Back of the Yards.
They came with balloons. flowers. and posters of Pedro Ramirez—mourners and students and violence prevention activists moving together from 4747 S. Union Ave. to the corner of 51st and Throop streets. They chanted that “his life matters. all lives matter” and “pledge peace for Pedro. ” turning grief into a demand that the killing not be allowed to fade.
Eloisa Garcia, who described herself as Pedro’s “second mother,” said the outpouring of support has been “overwhelming.”
“He made an impact. We didn’t know how big it was. but now we see it. ” Garcia said as Ramirez’s peers stood nearby. holding items that marked his place in their lives. Garcia did not limit her message to mourning. She called for justice and urged elected officials to push harder for an arrest in Pedro’s case.
“He was just walking to school. No family should have to wonder if my kid is going to make it home today from school,” Garcia said.
Police say Pedro was walking to school around 7:40 a.m. May 26 in the 5000 block of South Throop Street when four masked assailants jumped out of a Jeep and fired toward a red minivan. The Cook County medical examiner’s office said Pedro was struck by stray gunfire and died less than an hour later.
A person taken into custody after the fatal shooting was later released without charges.
In the days since, classmates have kept Pedro close in the small details that make school feel like home. Some wore Tilden volleyball and soccer gear to commemorate his involvement on the teams. Others wore white shirts bearing his picture. The peace walk became a way to hold onto the person he was, not only the moment he was taken.
Samanta Hernandez, 18, the lead organizer of the peace walk, described Pedro as someone who helped classmates through hard days.
“He was the type of friend who would listen when you needed someone, who would support you when you were struggling, and who can make you laugh even on your worst day,” Hernandez said. She said she keeps his memory alive by sharing what she can—videos, photos, and moments from high school.
“I promise to keep sharing your story, and I know there are so many people here today who will do the same,” Hernandez said.
Pedro’s influence extended beyond students who called him a teammate or a friend. Teachers and coaches also spoke about what he meant in the classroom and on the court. Carlos Delcid, one of Pedro’s teachers and volleyball coaches, said Pedro was “everything you would want from a son.”
“He had fun, he was kind, he was courageous, he was a leader, he was everything you would want from a son,” Delcid said. “If my son grows up to be just like him, I will be the happiest, proudest father there could be.”
Crystle Saylor, another teacher and volleyball coach who taught Pedro, said his death has hit the Back of the Yards community especially hard. She spoke with frustration that the killing feels too familiar.
“At some point we have to stop pretending this is normal. Chicago is hurting. our communities are hurting. our children are carrying grief too far young and far too often. ” Saylor said. She said Pedro “should be planning for his future. ” walking the halls of Tilden with the energy that drew people to him.
“Instead, another family buried a son, and another group of teenagers is learning what it means to lose someone too soon,” Saylor said.
For many at the vigil near 51st and Throop. the walk was not only a tribute—it was also an insistence that justice must follow. As mourners carried balloons and flowers through the neighborhood streets. the same question echoed behind the chants: when a student is killed while walking to school. how long does a community have to wait for answers?.
Pedro Ramirez Tilden High School Back of the Yards peace walk Chicago police vigil gunfire justice