CHICAGO (WLS) — A cherished doorman, who tragically lost his life this past weekend in a gunfight near the UIC-Halsted Blue Line stop, is being fondly remembered as a person who assisted everyone he knew.
John Flemister, 61, worked at various buildings in the West Loop.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
The incident occurred around 6 p.m. on Saturday, while he was making his way home from his shift, on a footbridge near the entrance of the CTA Blue Line station in the 400-block of South Peoria Street at the corner of Van Buren Street, according to CPD.
Flemister and a 24-year-old man were at the location and involved in a verbal argument that escalated into an exchange of gunfire, police said.
Flemister was shot in the head during the shootout, CPD said. He died at the hospital.
The younger man was taken into custody and questioned by police at Area 3, officials said.
Luther Hopkins III, 24, of Calumet City has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon, but not murder, in the shooting.
No other injuries were reported.
Flemister’s niece said she doesn’t know why anyone would want to harm her uncle.
“My uncle was always willing to lend a hand. He was there for anyone in need; he truly had a heart of gold. He was the kindest soul in the whole world, a true symbol of the West Loop,” expressed Sabrina Holton. “My uncle was a genuinely good man. Honestly, they might have taken away their own guardian angel.”
Holton lived in the same building as her uncle, and says he was helping her raise her two daughters.
Flemister’s family is heartbroken.
“He done fought in the war for us. He had too much to lose to try to get into any type of gunfire with anyone. If anything, he would be trying to defend someone,” Holton said.
Flemister’s family says the circumstances surrounding his death are hard to believe.
Hopkins is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.
READ ALSO | Man killed in shootout in West Loop; CTA Blue Line trains stopped nearby, officials say
INTERACTIVE SAFETY TRACKER Track crime and safety in your neighborhood
Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.
