Students at a South Side high school were preparing for the one-year anniversary of a friend’s death, now those plans have been preempted to plan for another student’s funeral. Earlier this week%uFFFDand two months shy of graduation%uFFFDAlbert Vaughn Jr.
Late Saturday night, an altercation between two people that started in the basement of the 18-year-old’s relative’s home, spilled onto the street. Vaughn, a Julian High School student, was caught in the middle of the ruckus as he tried to lead children away from the house.
As he tried to protect himself while breaking out of the crowd, a man hit him in the head%uFFFD twice %uFFFD with a baseball bat, according to Chicago police. He died from his wounds a few hours later at Advocate Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn. Witnesses said Chicago police officers watched the man strike the blows to Vaughn’s head before trying to intervene.
Police said the officers responding to the incident pulled up just as the assailant hit Vaughn. “Upon their [police] arrival the tragic beating had already occurred. However, simultaneously to their arrival, there were officers already in pursuit of the offender who fled to a nearby building where police apprehended an offender and made an arrest,” said Monique Bond, spokeswoman for the department.
Nathaniel Tucker, 23, of the 1500 block of West 72nd Street, was charged with first degree murder in Vaughn’s death. Tucker’s bond is set at $1.5 million. Police have not determined if the incident was gang related. Vaughn, who had 21 siblings, was an avid boxer and looked forward to attending college after graduation.
This was his first year at Julian. He previously attended Englewood High School. School officials from Julian said grief counselors were available this week for students in the wake of Vaughn’s death, and the upcoming one-year anniversary of Blair Holt’s death.
Vaughn is the 23rd Chicago Public School student slain this school year. Holt was fatally shot last May while on a CTA bus, almost a mile away from Julian.
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