Army Vet Fatally Shot While Riding His Bike

Gabriel Stevens, 39, gunned down after leaving South Side store

An Army veteran and father was shot dead while riding his bicycle in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood Monday night.

Gabriel Stevens, 39, of Dolton, was riding in the 7600 block of South Hoyne at about 9 p.m. when a red vehicle pulled up next to him and someone got out and fired shots, police say.

The Dolton resident was hit in the chest and arm and was pronounced dead at the scene.

"I saw my son lying in the street like a dog," Stevens' mother, Vivian Ivory, said.

Stevens was shot minutes after he was involved in an altercation outside a store at 79th and Damen where he was a regular customer, Ivory said.

The store manager told NBC 5 Stevens was a regular customer who was peaceful and never bothered anyone.

Ivory says Stevens joined the Army after graduation and spent five years in the National Guard. He  would perform odd jobs around his neighborhood, loved going to church and left behind an 18-year-old son.

"When you hear it on TV, you feel sorry for the person and you pray for them, but in a million years I never thought I'd get a call like that," Ivory said.

No arrests have been made in Stevens' shooting.

Contact Us