4 days ago
$10K reward in South Holland, Illinois shooting that killed 16-year-old Davell Holden
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information on who shot and killed a 16-year-old boy in South Holland, Illinois over the weekend.
Davell Holden, a Thornwood High School basketball player on the cusp of starting his senior year, was fatally shot on Saturday, Aug. 2.
His mother Angela Birts said he had asked her to go to a friend's house near 16th and Drexel that evening. She checked his location to make sure he got there safely. Then she got the devastating call that he had been shot.
"I just remember screaming, yelling, praying in the car on the way there like, 'Lord, please help my baby,'" Birts said.
But her son did not survive. She said she's now relying on her faith to get her through this tragic time. She finds peace knowing how many people he impacted, and how much he was loved.
"I want everyone to know, this was not for my son," she said. "This was not the way my son deserved to die."
Birts said Tuesday several of Holden's friends passed out a flyer on the block where he was shot, seeking information about his killer. St. Sabina Church and the Village of South Holland are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
"He wasn't a man of many words, but he displayed his love to you through actions," said his best friend Kay'Shaun Thomas. "That was his love language, if you will. He took care of you. He made sure you were OK before he was OK. He'd put you first. He was a selfless person, if you will."
A memorial and balloon release is being held at the Thornwood High School football field at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Birts said she is expecting a large crowd.
