The family of a man with autism who was shot and seriously wounded in Back of the Yards has begun a GoFundMe page to cover his medical bills and also help “relocate the family and get them out of an unsafe area.”
Jesus Rega, 21, was with his 15-year-old brother and their father, waiting for a bus for school last week, when three gang members approached and at least one of them opened fire, hitting Rega three times, including in the head.
Rega was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital. His father, Phillip Rega, has said doctors have warned that his son could lose his senses of sight and taste.
On the GoFundMe page, the family said over the weekend that Jesus Rega will remain in neuro intensive care for weeks and then will undergo more surgery. “You can imagine how this will forever impact his and his family’s life,” the family said. ”We are hoping his vision is not too affected by this as he uses vision boards to communicate.
“This fundraiser is to help Jesus with any expenses that will come of this, along with helping his family get to and from the hospital to be at his bedside,” they added. “We are also looking to relocate the family to get them out of an unsafe area.”
The shooting happened around 6:40 a.m. Wednesday in the 4700 block of South Wolcott Avenue, a neighborhood where two gangs have been feuding over territory, according to police. A group approached and yelled that they were members of the Two-Six street gang that’s notorious in the area.
But Chicago police believe the three attackers were actually aligned with the Latin Saints and were using a tactic called “false flagging,” or claiming to belong to another gang to coax rivals into identifying themselves, a law enforcement source has told the Sun-Times.
Jesus Rega, 21, and his brother — who is also diagnosed with autism and is nonverbal — were unable to respond to the deadly ploy as they waited for a bus, the source said. Nearly 40 gunshots soon rang out. The gang members, wearing masks and black clothing, ran off and haven’t been arrested, according to police.
The “historic conflict” between the Latin Saints and Two-Six gangs is largely being waged over territory, according to the source, who said Rega’s shooting may have been a case of “mistaken identity.” He and his family have no gang affiliation, police have said.
Another shooting in the 4300 block of South Wood — “the heart of Latin Saints territory” — appeared to have mistakenly targeted an off-duty cop just a few hours later, the source said. It was likely carried out by the same gang.
