Fox News political analyst Gianno Caldwell announced that he will match the Cook County Crime Stoppers $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the suspects involved in the shooting that left his 18-year-old brother Christian dead in the south side of Chicago, bringing the total reward to $30,000.
Over a month has passed since Caldwell's youngest brother Christian, was fatally shot on the 11400 block of South Vincennes Avenue, yet there have been no arrests or other developments in the case since his death.
"I want justice for Christian and I'm not going to stop," Caldwell told Fox Nation host Nancy Grace in a new episode titled "Chicago Crime Crisis." I'm turning my pain into purpose and I'm very motivated by the capture of those who murdered Christian." He described his new purpose as "an assignment from G-d that I never wanted."
Caldwell fought back tears as he remembered "the spirit of light" and infectious smile his brother carried, and opened up about the father figure role he tried to be for his family in the raw and emotional Fox Nation episode.
"Christian made people feel good," Caldwell said. "I wish that could have developed more. Who knows, he might have been the next Dave Chappelle or anyone else."
Caldwell and his eight siblings were raised by their maternal grandmother after she was given custody of them by Caldwell's mother, who struggled with drug addiction. The family grew up "really poor," he said. The three youngest – Christian the last of them, never met their father.
"Because they never knew their father, I was their dad," Caldwell said "I made sure to take them to museums, I would fly them out wherever I was. I spent as much quality time with them as I could."
Caldwell has repeatedly criticized the city's progressive "soft-on-crime" policies that allow repeat offenders back on the streets, which many blame for the city's devastating crime wave. Caldwell said his brother had a premonition that Chicago was no longer safe for him two years ago, when he called him one day "crying" begging him to help him leave.
"He said Gianno, 'I need to get out of Chicago right away. I need to leave immediately. Everyone I know is being murdered. Everyone is being killed around me," the Fox News political analyst recalled. "And now two years later here we are having this conversation."
Chicago has become "hell on earth," for many people, Caldwell said, citing reports of only a 12% arrest rate last year, despite almost 800 homicides and nearly 3600 shootings.
"People are expecting to die in the city of Chicago now," he said. "You have a mentality that exists in Chicago with a criminal that is willing to break the law because…they love the leaders in Chicago…they recognize that they can commit as many crimes as they want."
"This isn’t about left, right, Democrat, Republican. This is about humanity," he told Grace.
Caldwell said he is both appreciative when police call him with updates and frustrated that his brother's gunmen haven't been caught. He said police told him that they recovered 50 shell casings from the scene. They also informed him that Christian was standing on a corner next to a male and female when four gunmen pulled up in an SUV and began firing. The unidentified male was the intended target, police told Caldwell. Both he and the female were also shot, but sustained non-fatal injuries. The police called it a case of "wrong place, wrong time."
Caldwell confirmed his pledge to match Cook County's reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of his brother's killer.
"He will not be a statistic and his legacy in this world will mean something that will benefit many other people," Caldwell told Grace." I want there to be justice for my brother like so many other voiceless victims in the city of Chicago."
Grace, a former prosecutor, told "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday that she hopes the reward will incentivize witnesses to come forward sooner rather than later.
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"With every day that goes by, in my experience prosecuting felony crimes just like this, witnesses disappear, memories become foggy," she said. "I hate to stand by and see this case go cold."
The Chicago Police are urging anyone with information to contact them 1-800-535-STOP or at TIPS@CookCountyCrimeStoppers.org.
Fox Nation subscribers can watch the full interview of "Chicago Crime Crisis," featuring Gianno Caldwell and host Nancy Grace on the platform today.
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