Teen’s Tragic Death in West Side Neighborhood
Lasiah Palmer, a 15-year-old from a West Side neighborhood, was among the few teenagers still observing a curfew. His family worked to protect him from street violence. On a Tuesday night, Lasiah was enjoying the summer evening on his back porch.
“That should not have been a problem,” his cousin, Billeka Palmer, expressed after Lasiah was discovered fatally injured at his Austin home. “That should have been a luxury he was awarded in his own home.”
Known to his family as “Spyda,” Lasiah Palmer was shot and killed early Wednesday morning on a third-floor patio. After being found bleeding and unconscious, officers responded at 1 a.m. to a call reporting a shooting on West Jackson Boulevard. Lasiah was unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the top of his head. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Cook County medical examiner ruled his death as a homicide. Initial investigations revealed Lasiah returned home with two friends after swimming. He showered and watched TV in his mother’s room. When his mother arrived shortly before 1 a.m., she found him injured on the porch. Witnesses reported hearing a loud noise and commotion one to two hours prior.
Lasiah was a quiet individual, according to his cousin. He was introverted, disliked large crowds, but enjoyed being close to his mom and younger brother. He liked to joke when comfortable and loved sports and games. Lasiah was eagerly anticipating starting high school at Rowe-Clark Math and Science Academy next month.
Billeka Palmer last saw her cousin on Mother’s Day at a family gathering. She noted that Lasiah’s mother, her first cousin, took extensive measures to protect her sons. Austin tops the city in homicides, with 18 so far this year. Chicago has seen 233 homicides in 2026.
“She did everything correctly,” Billeka stated. The family engaged in open discussions about challenges faced by young Black men.
Lasiah’s mom declined to comment. She worked to distance her sons from street culture and prevent them from becoming statistics. The incident shook her deeply.
“It’s extremely shocking when a different type of lifestyle penetrates into your own,” Billeka remarked. She emphasized the innocence of Black children, contradicting cultural and media narratives.
The family set up a GoFundMe for funeral expenses, raising over $3,400 so far. Diamond Dortch, Lasiah’s cousin, wrote, “Lasiah was more than a name. He was a loving son, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend whose smile, energy, and presence touched everyone who knew him. His life was taken far too soon, leaving behind a family and community struggling to make sense of such a heartbreaking loss.” Harrison Area detectives continue to investigate the shooting.