Carmelo Medina Shot and Killed After Entering Wrong Home in South Deering, Chicago Family Demands Answers

A family is demanding justice after a Harvey, Illinois man with Alzheimer’s disease was shot and killed after reportedly entering the wrong home in Chicago’s South Deering neighborhood, according to police and family members.

Chicago police said officers responded around 1:30 a.m. Monday to a report of a shooting near 103rd Street and Luella Avenue on the South Side. When they arrived, they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities later identified the victim as 62-year-old Carmelo Medina of Harvey.

Police said a 33-year-old homeowner told investigators that an unidentified man entered the residence and then moved toward him, prompting him to fire a weapon. The homeowner said he struck the man in the chest.

Medina’s family, however, says he was not an intruder in the criminal sense but a vulnerable man suffering from Alzheimer’s disease who became disoriented after wandering away from home earlier that morning.

Family members said Medina had gone missing during the early hours of Monday and likely walked a long distance from his home in Harvey before becoming confused and entering the wrong residence. They noted that his condition had caused previous episodes of wandering, though he was usually found quickly.

“He was just there for everybody, didn’t matter who it was—family, friends, just everybody,” said his son, Carmen Martinez. “He would drop everything just to be there for them.”

His sister, Estella Medina, described him as a kind and good-hearted man, saying in Spanish, “Él era bueno, no era mala persona” (“He was a good man, not a bad person”).

His niece, Ana Bahena, said his Alzheimer’s disease left him disoriented during episodes of wandering. “He was wandering, he didn’t know exactly what was going on. He was not in his right mind basically because he had Alzheimer’s,” she said.

The family is now calling for justice, saying the tragedy could have been avoided and questioning whether deadly force was necessary.

“It didn’t get to that point where you have to shoot somebody,” Martinez said.

Authorities confirmed the homeowner involved has a valid firearm permit and FOID card. Under Illinois law, gun owners may use force in certain circumstances if they believe they are facing an imminent threat inside their home.

However, investigators have not clarified how Medina entered the residence, and no further details have been released. The investigation remains ongoing, according to Chicago police.

The family is also raising funds for funeral expenses while seeking legal answers and clarity surrounding the circumstances of Medina’s death.