Friends Seek Help For South Side Family Hit By Double Tragedy

CHICAGO — Life was looking up for Gibron and Lavonne Mills. The couple had successfully blended their family of six children. Both had good jobs working for the city of Chicago: Gibron belonged to Teamsters Local 770; Lavonne was an hourly employee. With their two incomes, they owned a nice home in Fernwood on the city's Far South Side. They were full of hope for the future.

Then 2020 came crashing down on the South Side family as it has for so many others, bringing sadness and heartache beyond comprehension.

Gibron, known as “G” and the rock of his family, went missing under mysterious circumstances this past fall. He was last seen alive on Sept. 26 in Gary, Ind., where he had gone to visit a friend. His car showed up at the Gary police auto pound. Gibron was missing for ten days when his decomposed body was found in Gary. An autopsy was inconclusive whether foul play was involved. Gibron was deemed “located,” which doesn’t always mean found alive.

>>> Mount Carmel Mourns Loss Of Student Gunned Down On Far South Side

With the loss of Gibron’s good-paying union job, they went from an intact blue collar family to a household headed by a single mother supporting six kids on an hourly wage.

“This was a solid working class family that had never taken a handout,” Lavonne’s cousin Angela Jackson said. “Because of Gibron’s death still being a question mark, the family hasn’t received any benefits.”

Amid the hurt, confusion and shock over her husband’s disappearance, Lavonne was determined to keep the family together. Her 15-year-old son, Isaiah Wade, became her go-to kid. Isaiah fetched the clothes out of the dryer and folded them. He washed dishes. He minded his younger siblings, all without being asked. Family members said he stepped up to being the man of the house.

“Isaiah was a good kid,” Jackson said. “He was quiet and reflective. He was an old soul. Lots of boys his age would be hanging out with friends. Isaiah would be at home doing chores and making sure that his mother had everything she needed.”

When Isaiah was in eighth grade he was able to get a partial scholarship to a Catholic high school, Lavonne chose Mount Carmel, because that is where former first lady Michelle Obama’s brother, Craig Robinson, had attended high school.

Every day Isaiah would take the CTA bus to Mount Camel, crossing through several gang territories. The gangs made it difficult for men and boys who wanted to remain neutral, regardless if they had a union job or were a promising student attending a Catholic preparatory school.

At Mount Carmel, the sophomore carried a 3.8 GPA. Isaiah was gifted both academically and athletically. He was a proud member of the Mount Caramel Caravan football and lacrosse teams. He made friends at the Catholic high school, where he was highly regarded by students, staff and coaches.

Whenever his sophomore theology teacher asked for intentions during daily prayer, Isaiah always asked the class to pray for the homeless.

“Isaiah really thought about those less fortunate than he was,” Jackson said. “He was solid and dependable.”

The afternoon of Dec. 7, Lavonne got a call at work that was every mother’s worst nightmare: her brilliant 15 -year-old son was murdered. Isaiah had come home from school and was texting someone on social media when he ran out of the house. Lavonne believes her son was lured outside.

Isaiah’s 17-year-old sister TyMa heard gunshots coming from the direction of the alley behind the house. When TyMa went outside to investigate, she discovered her brother laying near the house. Isaiah had been shot in the head. She was holding her brother in her arms when paramedics arrived. Isaiah was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in grave condition where he later died.

Chicago police are still searching for the shooter. Neighbors have gone door to door asking for information to help the police investigation.

“I’ve been helping the family,” Jackson said. “My family is hurting so much. Our hearts are ripping open over the way Isaiah died.”

Lavonne is still too traumatized to be interviewed for this story. On Dec. 14, Lavonne learned that she was exposed to COVID-19, most likely contracted from family members who came to comfort her.

“Injustice has robbed this family of two of their loved ones within a short interval,” Jackson said, who has organized a GoFundMe campaign. “As an hourly worker for the city of Chicago, Lavonne receives only three days of bereavement leave. She has not had a chance to grieve because she is now her family’s sole breadwinner.”

The family hasn’t been back home since Isaiah was gunned down. Nobody wants to live there anymore. The children have been farmed out to relatives and friends.

“They don’t feel safe on top of the trauma,” Jackson said. “They’re fearful, it’s heartbreaking on so many levels.”

The city grants three days’ bereavement leave to hourly employees. Lavonne is currently self-quarantining at home until Dec. 27, when is scheduled to return to work. She can take more time off under the Family Leave and Medical Act, but without pay. Family and friends have started a GoFundMe campaign so Lavonne can continue to pay monthly bills and make arrangements for Isaiah’s funeral. Lavonne had her son cremated. When the pandemic ends, she wants to hold a memorial for Isaiah.

“She can continue taking time off, but she won’t receive benefits,” Jackson said.

Mount Carmel canceled classes on Friday so that students, parents and faculty could gather in Barda-Dowling Stadium for a memorial service to honor Isaiah’s life. The high school has also established a fund for Isaiah’s family. In addition to online donations, checks are also being accepted payable to Mount Carmel High School, 6410 S Dante Ave., Chicago 60637, Attn: Dennis Carey. Please indicate Isaiah Wade in the memo.

Jackson describes Lavonne as a quiet, proud woman who has a difficult time asking for help.

“My cousin lost her husband in October and now her son,” Jackson said. “She hasn’t had time to grieve. She is shell shocked. I think about women and the things we have to bear.”

Isaiah Wade GoFundMe Campaign

Mount Carmel High School Isaiah Wade Family Fund