A grieving Chicago mother is devastated after her son was identified as the victim found in the trunk of a burning car in Bridgeport early Friday morning.

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has determined that the 15-year-old boy died from gunshot wounds to the neck and chest. Although the boy’s name has not been released by the office, crisis responder Andrew Holmes confirmed that the teenager was a freshman at Menta Academy.

Residing with his mother on the North Side of Chicago, the boy’s mother fondly spoke of how his smile had the power to light up any room.

Investigators believe that he was shot in another area of the city before being transported by car to an alley near 37th Street and Parnell Avenue, where the vehicle was set ablaze.

According to Holmes, the authorities suspect that the car had been stolen from a repair shop in Lansing.

In an effort to find the perpetrators, Holmes and other community activists have urged Bridgeport residents to review their security camera footage for any potential leads.

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