‘He was very joyful’: Joliet parents speak about 13-year-old son killed in shooting

The mother of a 13-year-old boy killed in a shooting in Joliet said he was a “very nice kid” who was “very joyful.”

Andrea Perez, the mother of Manuel Mejia Perez, and Angel Ortega, the boy’s father, said their son was going out with his friends Monday and he promised he would return.

But at 4:42 p.m. on Monday at an alley near the 300 block of Des Plaines Street, officers found their son dead after he was shot. Ortega said he learned his son was shot twice in the chest.

“He was a very nice kid. He was very joyful. He liked to joke around,” Perez said.

“We’re looking for justice,” Ortega said.

The family is raising funds through GoFundMe for the funeral costs. The GoFundMe is accessible online at shorturl.at/CFqZP.

A flower memorial was established near an alley in Joliet where Manuel Mejia Perez was killed in a shooting.

The fatal shooting on Monday evening marked the first homicide of the year for the city.

In a statement on Tuesday, Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy said the loss of a child is a “pain no parent, no family and no community should ever have to endure.”

“I am heartbroken to learn of the senseless shooting that claimed the life of a 13-year-old boy in our city,” D’Arcy said. “On behalf of the entire city of Joliet, I extend my deepest condolences to the young boy’s family and loved ones. Words cannot ease the grief they are feeling, but please know our thoughts and prayers are with the family.”

In a State of the City speech about six days earlier, D’Arcy noted how the city had seen no homicides at that point and also saw consistent declines in violent crime thanks to “focused, proactive policing” using “data, technology, and community partnerships.”

Manuel Mejia Perez’s body was found in an alley near Water’s Edge town homes, which is across the street from another shooting in 2023 that claimed the life of another teen, 17-year-old Antoine Shropshire.

“I am heartbroken to learn of the senseless shooting that claimed the life of a 13-year-old boy in our city.”

After more than three months, the police investigation into Shropshire’s killing led to a first-degree murder charge against Jaquan Blalock, 19, of Markham.

The Will County Coroner’s Office declared Manuel Mejia Perez dead at 7:08 p.m. Monday.

As of Tuesday, police have yet to say what the circumstances were behind the shooting or the motive because it still is under investigation.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time,” said Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English, spokesman for the police department.

The shooting “remains under active investigation and is a top priority for our detectives,” English said.

“I am unable to release additional details at this time to maintain the integrity of the investigation,” English said.

There have been reports of at least three other shootings since last Wednesday in Joliet but police officials say violent crime has declined over the past year as of May 24.

Shootings are down 46%, reports of aggravated battery are down 50%, aggravated discharge of firearms are down 48% and robberies are down 25%, according to police officials.

Officers responded to a shooting at 1:24 p.m. Sunday in the 2500 block of Fresno Lane. A 20-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the leg while walking in the area.

About 7:30 p.m. June 1 in the 1300 block of Demmond Street, a 27-year-old man was the target of a shooting but managed to avoid getting shot, English said.

On May 31, a shooting in Joliet led to a reckless discharge of a firearm charge against Jonathan Mendez-Sanchez, 41, of Joliet. He’s accused of endangering two other people by firing a gun into the ground.

At 10:33 p.m. May 30, a call of shots fired was reported near Woodruff Road and Clark Street but officers were not able to find any evidence of a shooting and residents did not hear anything, English said.

At 8:42 p.m. May 26, officers responded to a report of a shooting on Second Avenue and Wilson Avenue but officers said no one was shot nor was there any property damaged by gunfire, English said.

However, shell casings were found in the 500 block of Second Avenue.

Anyone with video footage or information related to the shooting of Manuel Mejia Perez should contact the Joliet Police Department’s Investigation Division at 815-724-3020.

If they wish to stay anonymous, they can contact Crime Stoppers of Will County at 800-323-6734 or online at crimestoppersofwillcounty.org.