By Jesus J. Montero

On June 1, Victor Cazares Jr. saw what was unfolding in Cicero and, his loved ones say, wanted to help his community. Unarmed, a few steps away from his apartment, Victor was shot in front of a corner store he was protecting. He later died from the gunshot wound to the head.

He was 27 years old.

"I never expected to have news like this in my life," Victor Cazares Sr. shared. "I never thought that I was going to bury one of my children. Parents are supposed to die before their children. Only God knows why he does these things."

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Victor's parents Victor Sr. and Lupe Cazares. Victor’s parents will be taking their son's ashes to spread in Mexico. (Photos by Jesus J. Montero)

June 1

Widespread unrest spread throughout Cicero as protestors were forced from downtown Chicago into south and west side neighborhoods. Sparked by rumors and social media footage of impending break-ins into local businesses, armed Cicero residents patrolled the streets and clashed with what Town officials called 'outside agitators.' Many community members and surrounding Chicago residents likened these groups to vigilantes who targeted Black people in Cicero.

Victor was shot at the 4900 block of 14th Street at the Super Espiga grocery store, according to records from the Cook County Medical Examiner. He was transported to Mount Sinai Medical Center in Chicago where he was pronounced dead at 7:31 p.m.

Jose Gutierrez, 28, from Chicago, was also shot and killed on June 1. A man was arrested in connection with the shooting of Gutierrez.

Cicero declared a state of emergency and implemented a curfew after the deadly night of unrest. Cicero police stated they received forty-one calls for shots fired.

Following Victor's death, Cicero residents held various protests addressing the racially motivated attacks and support of Black Lives Matter.

Friends and family gathered June 3 to hold a vigil for Victor M. Cazares. Cazares parents Lupe, Victor Sr., and his sister Adriana mourned with tremendous support from the community. (Photos by Jesus J. Montero)

Victor

Victor was an independent soul who loved helping others, according to his friends and family. The youngest of three siblings, Victor went to live with his parents in Mexico when he was a kid and returned to the United States when he was 16-years-old to start his own life.

He attended Lincoln's Challenge Academy, a military school in Rantoul, Ill. when he moved back. He had to convince his parents to sign off on the military program for at-risk youth.

Being away from his parents, Victor relied on his group of friends for support. He would go above and beyond to help his friends such as offering a rent-free place to stay and giving comfort during a time of need. Growing up, he was the photographer in the group, always taking pictures of their day-to-day adventures.

Victor's sisters loved him for his perspective and his uniquely calming personality. He had many jobs and often helped others with odd jobs.

Growing up his parents owned their small business restaurant on 79th Street and Cottage Grove in Chicago. During the ’90s, the Cazares family prepared for the worst whenever the Chicago Bulls won a championship.

He was an organ donor, but tested positive for COVID-19 in April. Three weeks later he took a second test and received negative results for COVID-19. Victor was asymptomatic, but his organ donation couldn't be accepted. Gift of Hope, the organ and tissue donor network, sent the Cazares family a thank-you note and medal.

Photos of Victor’s travels. (Photos provided by the Cazares family.)

He never complained

On June 1, Adriana Cazares, Victor’s sister, was in the kitchen when she received a call from Victor’s best friend Juan Carlos Arroyo saying Victor had been shot. Adriana's last message to Victor was hours before the shooting telling him to be safe and to stay inside.

Adriana and Victor talked every day.

"There were cars everywhere, ambulances every two minutes trying to take people to the hospital. I just kept seeing people coming in and out while I was waiting to see if my brother was even there," Adriana said.

Victor was a truck driver who would often stop by and visit Adriana and her three daughters. Adriana's daughters would anxiously wait for tío Victor to come and visit. He always tried to make time for his nieces. Adriana loved to cook for him and often had his favorite dish of huevos rancheros waiting for him.

Victor would bring flowers to Adriana's three daughters for their birthday from a local flower store across the street. Victor always shopped locally when he could.

“We were always proud of him and even more proud of the man he became,” Adriana shared.

Adriana admired Victor’s motivation for the different challenges in his life. His perspective on handling difficult decisions is something she said she’ll miss.

"It’s very validating and bittersweet to see all the love and support from every single one of his friends. Even people that barely knew him had nothing but nice things to say about him, his character and just the overall person he was. If there’s something positive my family and I can take from this tragedy is how beloved he was and how much he will be missed.”

In recent years Victor had started traveling around the world with the help of his other sister Michelle. He shared his experiences with his friends, often getting them to tag along. Victor's friends are now planning future travels in his honor.

"Everyone has something nice to say about him. He was always trying to make them happy when they were having a bad day. He would say a little joke just to crack a smile. It's a bittersweet feeling. I'm sad he's not here. But through hearing his friends and how people speak about him, it just validates why we were so proud of him." Adriana Cazares remembers Victor while sitting on the front steps of her home where she and her daughters would wait for Victor every weekend. (Photo by Jesus J. Montero.)

He understood

Victor's oldest sister Michelle, a Captain in the United States Airforce who is stationed in northern Italy, was woken up by a phone call from her sister at 2 a.m. with the horrific news.

"I was in shock," Michelle said. "I think I yelled at first and then just kind of sat there because I couldn't believe it...Still, to this day, it feels like a horrible nightmare. I feel he's going to walk through the door at any time now."

Victor and Gringo in his apartment. (Photo provided by the Cazares family.)

While Michelle was overseas, Victor would take care of her cat, Gringo. Victor hated cats, but Gringo was an exception. The two bonded so closely that Gringo became the official mascot for Victor and his friends.

Victor traveled to visit Michelle when she was stationed throughout the U.S but often missed being back in Cicero. Their relationship blossomed when Victor was entering his twenties and wanted to explore other countries.

Their first trip together was to Costa Rica. Victor would later travel to Colombia, Bangkok, Turkey and Greece. When traveling, Michelle would lose Victor often because he was always behind helping someone on the side of the road.

His perspective on life changed on these trips. Michelle noticed the change before traveling. Victor previously would dismiss politics outright. After his first trip he started asking her for resources and things to educate him on politics like podcasts.

A few hours before Victor's death, Michelle was talking to him about the Black Lives Matter protests around the world.

Michelle feels her brother’s decision to leave his apartment was his concern for his neighborhood. “He was just standing there making sure that everybody is okay,” she added. “He wasn't there to cause any violence— just to make sure that the place was protected. He didn’t even have a weapon.”

“I told them [work colleagues] to come and talk to me about your stories, how your families are, and everything. I feel it's going to help me deal with me going back home and knowing my brother's life was taken away. He was an innocent person that wasn't trying to hurt anybody." Michelle Cazares on keeping busy at work while dealing with her news of her brother Victor.

Michelle Cazares and Gringo via Zoom. (Photo by Jesus J. Montero)

He was there for me

"Our relationship grew after my father passed away," shares Juan Carlos Arroyo, Victor's best friend. "He was one of the friends that if something happened in your life, he would always check in on you to make sure you were okay."

Days before the shooting, Juan Carlos was talking with Victor about the widely shared social media posts of the racist attacks in Pilsen.

"He said that it was wrong. He thought no Mexicans should be targeting any Black person,” Juan Carlos explained. “He understood protecting the neighborhood, but they should not be attacking any type of Black person that is walking through the streets. There are a lot of Black people that live around that area."

“He supported the Black Lives Matter movement. He believed that African Americans have been targeted and mistreated by police," Juan Carlos added.

Juan Carlos discovered what happened to Victor through a friend and called his sister Adriana. When he discovered Victor was in the hospital their group of friends went to Juan Carlos’s house to pray for him.

"I believe the reason why he was out there that day was just to protect the community," he added.

Juan Carlos and Victor frequently traveled, worked out and attended electronic music concerts together. (Photo provided by Juan Carlos.)

At Victor's funeral, Juan Carlos and his group of friends decided to wait until the service to pay their respect. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, very few people were allowed to visit and had to do so in ten-minute increments. This gave Victor's family more time to mourn.

"It [the funeral] was touching. Our group of friends we call a family," Juan Carlos explains. "The family has always been together. We've grown up with each other since high school, some since grade school. Victor grew with us because of how caring he was." The group entered at the end of the funeral for a final prayer.

Juan Carlos is one of many who thought of the world of Victor. Victor Sr. was overwhelmed with the support and love the family has received.

"As a result of this murder, we met his friends. I found myself surrounded by good people that thought Victor as a counselor to them,” Victor Sr. said. “Victor wanted [his friends] to be better citizens, better people. His friends thanked us for having such a good, respectful son who cared for his fellow man."

Jesus J. Montero is a multimedia journalist. He recently graduated with a Master’s degree in Journalism from DePaul University