In the heart of Chicago’s South Side, where the hum of clippers and casual conversation usually fills the air, tragedy struck Tuesday afternoon at a familiar barbershop on the 800 block of East 79th Street. Mitch Peezy, a 52-year-old father known for his warm smile and steady presence in the neighborhood, was fatally shot multiple times around 3:41 p.m. Eyewitnesses described a scene of sudden chaos, with customers scattering as gunfire echoed through the small space.
Peezy, who had been getting a trim like so many others before him, collapsed amid the panic. Paramedics rushed him to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, but despite their efforts, he succumbed to his injuries later that evening. Friends and family gathered outside the shop in the hours that followed, their faces etched with disbelief. “He was the kind of guy who looked out for everyone,” one longtime patron recalled, voice breaking. “This shouldn’t have happened to him.”
The shooting appears to have been targeted, though police haven’t released details on a possible motive. No arrests have been made, and investigators are combing through surveillance footage from the bustling commercial strip, appealing to the public for any leads. As the sun set on the vibrant South Shore community, the loss of Peezy—a man who balanced family life with quiet contributions to local youth programs—served as a stark reminder of the fragility amid everyday routines. His three children, now without their father, and the wider circle he touched are left grappling with an unthinkable void, while the search for answers presses on.