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CHICAGO ― Grief counselors will be at DePaul University Monday, helping students and faculty who are mourning a talented young man whose life was cut short by gunfire at a Logan Square Halloween party.
Frankie Valencia, 21, was shot and killed at the party in the 1700 block of North Rockwell Street around 1:15 a.m. Sunday. Another DePaul student, Daisy Camacho, 21, was shot and wounded in the incident.
Valencia, of the 5100 block of West Strong Street, was pronounced dead less than three hours later at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
The shooting may have stemmed from a disagreement between the people at the party and an uninvited guest, according to a police source.
DePaul officials describe Valencia as a very involved and dedicated student who was recently named a Lincoln Laureate, having received an award given annually to one student at each of the state's four-year universities. The award honors excellence in academics and extracurricular activities.
Officials say Valencia may not have been the intended target—but the shooter was allegedly angry with the people in the house and began shooting erratically, police said.
Camacho was in stable condition at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, authorities said.
No one was in custody Sunday night, but Grand Central Area detectives said witnesses from the scene were cooperating with police and the investigation was progressing.
Valencia, a DePaul senior, was recently chosen as the student Lincoln Laureate and selected to speak at the president's diversity brunch during reunion week, according to the DePaul Web site.
Valencia was a commuter student but was very involved in on-campus organizations, according to a profile featured on DePaul’s Web site. In his free time, he enjoyed playing pick-up sports with friends and reading outside.
“After graduation, I plan to keeping moving forward in life,” Valencia said in the profile. “I believe it is important to figure out what life-path suits us and then gain experience that affect the growth of our potential.”
Valencia’s goal was to work on a political campaign in the Chicago area, according to the site. Valencia was a graduate of Lincoln Park High School and was expected to graduate in June 2010 with a political science degree.
You can view his profile here: http://www.depaul.edu/student_life/student_profiles/lasProfile.asp?id=fvalencia
