A man was killed Wednesday night following a shooting involving Illinois State Police troopers on Chicago’s South Side, authorities confirmed.
The victim’s father, Stan Carpenter, says he is left searching for answers, questioning what led to the deadly encounter. He insists his 24-year-old son, Jalen Carpenter, did not live in the area and cannot understand what would have caused police to open fire.
“Me and my family are grieving right now… this is hard,” Carpenter said. “My son was a good kid. He worked for Amazon, he was getting his life together. He just had a baby, and the baby will be two years old.”
Carpenter has been canvassing the 6500 block of South Champlain Avenue in the Woodlawn neighborhood, hoping to find surveillance footage that may shed light on what happened.
He also questioned the level of force used by officers.
“They’re not firing warning shots. They’re not using a Taser,” he said. “If what they’re saying is true, they could’ve disarmed him. I know my son—he would never point a gun at police. We have officers in our family.”
According to Illinois State Police, troopers initially responded to a domestic-related call on Interstate 57 around 10:50 p.m. They later located a suspect armed with a gun near South Champlain Avenue.
Police said a struggle ensued, during which shots were fired. Carpenter was struck and transported to a hospital, where he later died. Authorities confirmed that a firearm was recovered at the scene.
Despite that, his father disputes the narrative, claiming excessive force was used.
“I feel like my son was assassinated,” he said. “There are other ways to handle situations like this. If you shoot someone 15 times, including in the head, that’s overkill.”
No state troopers were injured during the incident.
Jalen Carpenter, one of 11 siblings, leaves behind a young son who is nearly two years old.
The Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation is currently reviewing the shooting.
