Chicago shooting: Kevin Watson, 42, shot, killed during Facebook Live stream in South Austin parking lot on West Madison Street
Share this @internewscast.com

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago authorities are looking into the fatal shooting of a man who was shot while broadcasting live on Facebook from the city’s West Side.

Warning: The video in the player above may be disturbing to watch.

A video viewed almost two million times on Facebook showed Kevin Watson, 42, getting out of a car. Seconds later, gunfire can be heard.

It happened mere blocks away from a police station in South Austin.

Close friends of the victim who witnessed the deadly shooting spoke exclusively with ABC7.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

The shooting happened around 6:14 p.m. Wednesday in the 5000 block of West Madison Street in South Austin, Chicago police said.

Watson was sitting in a car when another vehicle approached and someone inside began shooting, CPD said. He died from his injuries.

The Cook County Medical Examiner confirmed the victim’s identity.

Watson’s family and friends have been left in mourning after his final moments were captured on Facebook Live.

Lamar Spencer, close friend of victim and witness

“He was choking for breath,” Watson’s cousin Jacquez Smith said. “He was trying to struggle to breathe.”

All of it unfolded right after Watson left his cousin’s job at a nearby liquor store to begin his Facebook Live in his car.

“I wouldn’t have let him leave the store,” shared Smith. “He was a decent man. Despite any mistakes, he always helped others, including helping me secure this job here.”

Close friends, turned heartbroken witnesses, said Watson was talking to someone as he was walking to his car.

Alvin Jackson, a close friend and eyewitness, mentioned, “He was conversing with someone and heading to his vehicle when the person trailed him. The assailant then drew a gun on him. In the struggle that ensued, the gun discharged.”

Police said the 40-year-old man was shot in his chest.

“I rubbed his palm and I squeezed his hand, and he wouldn’t squeeze back,” said Lamar Spencer, a close friend and witness.

Relatives said he leaves behind a 6-year-old son and said Watson was killed just weeks shy of his own birthday.

Close friend Freddie Collier expressed, “We need to learn how to move forward and support each other daily to overcome this, as it affected more than just one person. It hurt many of us.”

Police haven’t given a motive behind the shooting. So far, no one has been arrested.

INTERACTIVE SAFETY TRACKER Track crime and safety in your neighborhood

Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Football, family, humor, heart: Hulu's 'Chad Powers' has Glen Powell in sports spotlight at premiere at Pasadena's Rose Bowl

Glen Powell Steals the Show at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl Premiere with Hulu’s ‘Chad Powers’: A Blend of Football, Family, and Humor

Football and humor become intertwined in the new series “Chad Powers.” On…
Former DOGE staffer Edward Coristine describes brutal DC attack by teen gang

Ex-DOGE Team Member Edward Coristine Recounts Harrowing Assault by Teen Gang in DC

Former DOGE staffer Edward Coristine appeared on “Jesse Watters Primetime” on Monday…
North Carolina restaurant ambush ‘highly premeditated,’ suspect tied to anti-LGBTQ conspiracies: docs

Documents reveal that an ambush at a North Carolina restaurant was thoroughly planned, with the suspect linked to anti-LGBTQ conspiracy theories.

A weekend shooting that left three people dead and five others injured…
ICE in Chicago: Federal agents surround South Shore apartment building as DHS requests military deployment to Illinois

Immigration Authorities in Chicago: Federal Agents Encircle South Shore Apartment as Homeland Security Seeks Military Assistance in Illinois

CHICAGO (WLS) — Questions remain after the announcement that the federal government…
China won't let Trump take Bagram Air Base back from the Taliban without a fight, expert warns

Expert Predicts: China Unlikely to Allow Trump to Reclaim Bagram Air Base from Taliban Without Challenge

President Donald Trump made the shocking announcement this month that the U.S.…
James Comey's well-deserved indictment: Letters

James Comey Faces Indictment: A Look at the Details

The Issue: The indictment of former FBI Director James Comey for lying…
House Democrats rally at Capitol in last-ditch effort to alter spending bill

House Democrats Gather at Capitol in Final Push to Revise Spending Bill

On Monday evening, House Democrats gathered for a crucial strategy session in…
Police share new pictures of third suspect amid manhunt in congressional intern’s killing

Authorities Release New Photos of Third Suspect as Search Continues in Congressional Intern’s Murder Case

Police in Washington, D.C., released more pictures of a third suspect accused…
Southport shooting: Woman identified by family as 1 victim of mass shooting at waterfront bar American Fish Company

Southport Incident: Family Identifies Woman Among Victims in Waterfront Bar Shooting at American Fish Company

SOUTHPORT, N.C. — A Southport, North Carolina, family confirmed the identity of…
Chicago Teachers Union Assata Shakur post draws criticism from city council members; Mayor Brandon Johnson refuses to denounce it

Chicago Teachers Union’s Post Honoring Assata Shakur Faces Backlash; Mayor Brandon Johnson Remains Silent

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) has come under criticism…
Vance, Johnson Hold Presser, Rip and Expose Democrats for Government Shutdown Gambit

Vance and Johnson Criticize and Unveil Democrats’ Strategy in Response to Government Shutdown

On Monday, Republicans and Democrats convened in a last attempt to prevent…
Blogger arrested for sharing anti-Hamas meme online, claims cops didn't know about October 7th horrors

Blogger Detained for Posting Anti-Hamas Meme, Alleges Police Unaware of October 7th Events

A blogger has blasted British police after they arrested him for sharing…