Neighbors and elected officials gathered Sunday for a vigil in honor of Larry Neuman, a retired Chicago police officer and ordained minister who was killed last week in West Garfield Park.
Neuman, 73, was shot to death in the 4300 block of West Monroe Street about 11:30 a.m. Thursday. Police released video footage Saturday of two people possibly involved in the shooting and are asking for the public’s help to identify them.
“This is a tough day,” Pastor Paul Sims of St. Michael Missionary Baptist Church told the crowd. “We lost a great pillar of this community. … Reverend Neuman called me on Wednesday night and said he wanted to do more for the youth in the community. Anyone who knew Larry Neuman knew he would’ve done whatever he could for those two young men in that video.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson said he knows the community can come together not only to grieve and find strength in each other but also to “restore.” He said accountability for those involved in the shooting must be paired with increased opportunities for people living in historically disenfranchised neighborhoods.
“We know the challenges that exist in our community because they did not show up overnight,” Johnson said. “Officer Larry has been fighting for a very long time to make sure that the young brothers on the block had hope. His living and his dying will not be in vain.”
Police Supt. Larry Snelling said the department stands with those who live in the community and will work together with neighbors to increase safety.
“When you look at everybody coming together right now, this is the start of something,” Snelling said. “We’re going to be here. We’re dug in, and we’re going to make sure we stand with this community, work with you, uplift everybody over here and bring this neighborhood back to where it’s supposed to be.”
Neuman was a police officer for 28 years and retired in 2010. He was also a veteran of the Marines who served in Vietnam. In retirement, Neuman had been working for the Transportation Security Agency as an explosives expert, training agents at O’Hare and Midway airports to detect explosives and other potential threats.
Neuman was an ordained minister and active volunteer.
He “probably knew just about everybody in the neighborhood,” said Tiffany Higgins, who met him at church and worked with him at West Side Community Empowerment Center, a local organization that hosts family-friendly events.
The day before Neuman died, he dropped by Bridget Boss’ house because he noticed workers doing construction and wanted to check in, she said. Boss also knew Neuman from church and worked with him at West Side Community Empowerment Center.
“He was just loving,” Boss told the Sun-Times. “He came across from the church to my house and was just like, ‘Hey, let me help out. Let me make sure everything’s being done right.’ He always just wanted to help out wherever he could.”
Visitation for Neuman will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday at St. Michael Missionary Baptist Church, 4106 W. Monroe St., where Neuman was a member for 30 years as well as a preacher. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Michael.
West Side Community Empowerment Center, where Neuman served on the board, will dedicate a PlayStreets event to him in July. The 4100 Block of Monroe Street will be closed off from 4 to 7 p.m. July 12 so families can gather to enjoy music, refreshments and activities. They also plan to plant flowers near Neuman’s home in his memory during the event.
