CHICAGO — A GoFundMe has been created for a man with special needs who was critically injured after being shot while waiting for a bus in Back of the Yards.
Jesus Rega, 21, remains hospitalized at Stroger Hospital in the neuro-ICU. He has undergone head surgery and is scheduled for another in a couple weeks.
Doctors fear Rega may lose his eyesight because of where the bullet hit him in the face.
“He has a long road to recovery, so you can imagine how this will forever impact his and his family’s life. We are hoping his vision is not too affected by this as he uses vision boards to communicate,” the fundraiser reads.
Police said Rega was waiting for a school bus along with his father and 15-year-old brother, who also has special needs, on Jan. 18 in the 4700 block of South Wolcott.
According to police, three gang members approached them and opened fire. Rega was shot three times, including once in the head. His father and brother were uninjured.
Rega and his brother are nonverbal and attend Martin Luther King Prep for special needs.
A GoFund Me fundraiser was created over the weekend to help with Rega’s medical bills and to relocate the family to a new home.
If you or someone you know has information that can help CPD make a breakthrough in this case, police encourage you to reach out to Area 1 Detectives at (312) 747-8380 or file an anonymous tip online at cpdtip.com.