Sameer Baraka was nineteen years old — an undefeated wrestler, a talented football player, and a beloved son who lit up every room with his humor. On a night during Ramadan, while walking home from quality time with his father and brother, a stranger approached and demanded to know if they were in a gang. Three times they said no. The stranger told them to run — and then opened fire. Sameer’s last words were about making it home in time for the pre-dawn meal and beating his dad in a video game.
A Family Shattered by Senseless Violence
His father tried desperately to shield both sons, pushing one behind a dumpster and placing the other in front of himself. But the bullets found their mark. In an instant, a young life full of promise — medals in wrestling, football, and track — was extinguished by a stranger’s cowardice. This was not a gang shooting between rivals; it was the cold-blooded murder of an innocent young man walking home with his family.
“His last words were: ‘We have enough time to beat me in a video game and pray Fajr and go to sleep.’ Those were his last words.”
A Call for Justice and Community Action
- The case remains unsolved — anyone with information is urged to contact Chicago detectives and help bring the killer to justice
- Gang violence is terrorism against innocent families, and communities must work together with authorities to end it
- The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught: if you see evil, change it with your hands; if you cannot, speak against it; at minimum, hate it in your heart
- To the perpetrator: the best thing you can do is turn to the Creator, repent sincerely, and face accountability for what you have done
“If you see an evil, change it with your hands. If you cannot, speak out against it. And the least amount of faith is to hate it in your heart. We hate this senseless violence.”
