A Chicago man was shot Sunday afternoon while canvassing for a city council candidate and streaming his efforts on Facebook Live, according to multiple reports.
“Maxwell Omowale Justice, 32, a volunteer for the Joseph Williams campaign, is speaking to the camera when shots can be heard in the video,” said the Chicago Tribune. The shooting took place while Williams was a few houses away with his two children, as a group from the campaign tried to get affidavits from residents following a challenge to Williams’ petitions, said Erin Ellenbolt, Williams’ campaign manager.”
In the video, Justice can be heard saying “if you live in the 15th Ward, support Joseph Williams,” as the shots being to ring out. Shortly thereafter, the live feed cuts out. He was shot in the leg.
“Whoever tried to kill me failed. My political views will not change no matter what,” Justice later said on Facebook.
Williams is running for alderman, an Illinois term for city council. He called the shooting a “pretty tragic event.”
He is challenging incumbent Raymond Lopez in an election that will be held in February. Lopez spoke out against the violence in a statement.
“Campaign or not, it is completely unacceptable and unfortunate that someone would feel compelled to shoot at someone simply because they didn’t recognize them from the community,” he said. “This is the same type of mindless gun violence we have seen in other neighborhoods.”