[CBFF] Bears Tommie Harris Surprises Young Gunshot Victim

[mom2iancal]

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Neighbors Of The 11-Year-Old Are Banding Together To Help Fight Gang 
Violence 

Suzanne Le Mignot 
Reporting 

(CBS) CHICAGO Residents of Chicago’s Park Manor neighborhood on the South 
Side are banding together to help fight the kind of gang violence that almost 
killed a little boy earlier this week. 

Police Superintendent Phil Cline joined them in a rally at Park Manor 
Elementary School where Markeis Willard is a student. 

Willard is recovering from a gunshot wound, and Friday, as CBS 2's Suzanne 
Le Mignot reports, he got some amazing medicine to help him along. 

11-year-old Willard was in a state of shock after a big surprise. 

"A famous football player just came to my house,” he told CBS 2. 

Willard was so stunned he had to ask Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie 
Harris if Harris' name was really on the jersey he just signed for the 5th 
grader. 

The wide smile on the young boy’s face is a huge contrast to the tremendous 
pain he recently endured. On Tuesday, Willard was caught in gang crossfire 
while riding his bike in Park Manor. A bullet remains lodged between his lungs 
and liver. 

Harris said when he heard about Willard’s story, he had to do something. 

"God spares lives. He's here for a reason and hopefully, something positive 
will come out of this whole situation,” Harris said. 

"As an athlete, you need to do more than just performing on the field, but 
with the influence that you have, you can touch many more peoples’ lives,” 
Harris added. 

Harris not only surprised Willard with a signed jersey, but a Hummer bicycle 
too. 

"I didn't know they was gonna bring no bike. I was surprised,” said Samantha 
Flakes, Willard’s mother. “He like it. He's talkin' 'bout puttin’ it 
outside already." 

It will be some time before Willard is outside riding that new bike. He 
faces several weeks of recovery and is being home schooled, until he is ready to 
head back to school at Park Manor Elementary. 

Friday evening at 6, a CAPS anti-violence march will be kicked off at 71st 
and South Rhodes, the intersection where Willard was shot. 

_http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_075174849.html_ 
(http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_075174849.html) 

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