The funeral for 7-year-old Amari Brown, who was killed on the Fourth of July while watching fireworks with his father, has been set for later this week.
A visitation was scheduled for Friday evening at Jennings Funeral Home followed by a wake and funeral at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church Saturday morning.
Amari was killed in a shooting in the West Side Humboldt Park neighborhood just before midnight Saturday while watching fireworks with his father, Antonio Brown. Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said Brown was the intended target.
McCarthy also said Antonio Brown, 29, is a documented gang member with a record showing 45 arrests. An NBC Chicago investigation found that Brown has been convicted of five felonies for possession and dealing of narcotics and seven other crimes in the Cook County Criminal Court over the past dozen years.
Brown appeared in court Wednesday with Amari's mother and other family members and friends. Brown's attorney criticized the police for jumping to conclusions in claiming Brown was the intended target of the fatal shooting. Brown's attorney also charged that his client is not an admitted gang member.
Amari's family said the little boy was a "jokester" and acted like a typical 7-year-old boy who loved to run and play. They said the best way to describe him is "a sweet, sweet little boy."
The shooter has not been identified, and no one is in custody.
