A man was fatally shot in Chicago during a Facebook live stream after gunmen approached him in a West Side parking lot. The deceased, Kevin Watson, was seated in his car at about 6:14 p.m. on Wednesday, ranting about a parking altercation when the incident happened. The car was parked in the 5000 block of West Madison Street in South Austin, just a few blocks away from a police station.
The 42-year-old, who goes by Tugg, was dressed in a large chain with a pendant bearing his alias. Some online reports say the armed man was attempting to steal his chain, but police are still investigating the incident and the motive. According to reports, the gunman drove up next to Watson and confronted him.
In the video, Watson jolts in his seat when he sees the armed man and then quickly jumps out of the car. Before he exited, he questioned the gunman in confusion, and when he exited, shuffling could be heard.
According to a witness, a tussle ensued as Watson fought the armed man for the firearm. The altercation ended with the gun discharging and Watson sustaining a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. On the live stream, the sudden sequence of events and the explosion left viewers concerned. Shortly after, screams filled the background. The video has since accumulated around 2 million views on Facebook and gone viral across social media.
Reports say that the incident happened in the 5000 block of West Madison Street in South Austin, just a few blocks away from a police station. Watson’s friend Alvin Jackson told the news outlet that Watson was talking to a man before he went inside his car.
Jackson said that the man followed Watson to his car shortly after and pulled a gun on him. Jackson told the media that Watson began wrestling with the man over the gun, and it went off. Another witness, Watson’s cousin Jacquez Smith, told ABC7 that he saw Watson struggling to breathe after being shot. It was reported that he died a few weeks before his birthday.
According to the report, Watson went to a nearby liquor store where his cousin worked and then lingered in the parking lot to share an experience with Facebook viewers. Smith expressed regret regarding allowing his cousin to leave the store. He described Watson as a “good man” who was very helpful to others. He credited his cousin for helping him get a job at the liquor store. Watson is also the father of a 6-year-old son.
