Jerry Lewis was a mentor who was committed to helping fellow West Siders turn their lives around, his family said a day after he was gunned down outside a condo building near the United Center. “He believed in developing others for the best, showing people a different way," his wife of 40 years, Zandra Lewis, told the Sun-Times. “My father was a great man and his game plan was that he wanted change,” his son, Zach Lewis, added.Lewis, 67 and of Matteson, was a developer affiliated with the United Center's massive development project, the 1901 Project, and was an anti-gun advocate, said his son, Zach Lewis. Zach said he is committed to keeping his father’s legacy alive.“I will just keep it going,” Zach, 35 said of continuing where his father left off.Lewis was walking to one of his two business offices when the shooting erupted, his wife said. “He trained people to learn how to open their own businesses…financing, hiring and all of that,” his wife said. Police have not shared a possible motive for the attack but according to a police report, officers already in the area saw two armed assailants on foot open fire on Lewis, who was identified by the Cook County medical examiner's office and Ald. Walter Burnett (27th). The shooting happened about 12:50 p.m. at 2127 W. Madison St. One of Lewis' businesses is at that address, his son confirmed.Lewis was hit in the head and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. Chicago Police Department officials investigate a homicide in the 2100 block of West Madison Street on the Near West Side, Tuesday, March 24, 2026.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times Lewis grew up on the city’s West Side and was devoted to helping people — many of whom were his peers. He lent a hand to many who had been incarcerated or in gangs by giving them jobs and opportunities, his family said.“When he did make it he chose to give back to all those communities that he grew up in: the entire West Side” Zach said.Zandra and Jerry, who met at a dinner party after Zandra asked one of her cousins who was good friends with one of his friends for an introduction, have eight grandchildren.“He was a very good husband and father and grandfather,” said Zandra. “He took good care of his family and he loved his family. He wanted the best for all of us.”Two men, 28 and 31, were arrested Tuesday but charges were not announced by police. The two both have felony records and have spent time in prison. The Sun-Times isn’t naming them because they haven’t been charged in Lewis’ killing.The 31-year-old has been arrested repeatedly, according to Cook County court records. He got probation in a drug possession case in 2012 and was later sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2015 after he was caught in a heroin bust.He was most recently sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2018 when he pleaded guilty to an armed carjacking.According to an arrest report, he had been double-parked in the 5200 block of West Crystal Street on Sept. 14, 2016, when he ran from police as they approached him and asked for his license. After he was caught during a brief foot pursuit, police learned the vehicle had been stolen in a carjacking.The 28-year-old was sent to prison for 54 months in 2017 after he was convicted of aggravated discharge of a firearm, court records show. He got three more years in prison in 2023 for a gun conviction.In that case, he was driving in the 600 block of South Independence Boulevard on July 3, 2023, when police stopped him and found a Glock and a “switch” device that turns handguns into automatic weapons, according to an arrest report.In a statement, Burnett, whose office is near where the killing happened, offered his condolences and prayers. "Jerry committed his life to helping people, young and old, find their place in our society," Burnett said in the statement. "Teaching people how to be leaders, how to be independent, and most importantly, how to be a good human.""Jerry never cared about someone’s past and extended grace to those looking to improve their lives. He was as excited about the future of the west side as anyone," Burnett added in the statement. Chicago Police Department officials investigate a homicide in the 2100 block of West Madison Street on the Near West Side on Tuesday.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times A woman who lives nearby said she heard shouting and “four or five gunshots” simultaneously. Police were already on scene by the time she got to her window, she said.“It happened really quickly,” said the woman, 39, who asked not to be named out of fear for her safety.A video she shared with the Sun-Times shows numerous officers arriving on scene and bystanders gathering. Another video shows paramedics performing medical procedures on the victim as they carried him on a gurney to an ambulance.A firearm was seen lying on the sidewalk after the shooting.The woman was still processing what had happened hours later. She said she has “never really felt unsafe” in the neighborhood.“It’s terrible, right? It happens in the middle of the day,” the woman said. “It’s really sad. … No matter what, violence is not the answer, shooting somebody is not the answer, but it does kind of seem like it’s telling of the times that people just go straight to violence.”Area 3 detectives are investigating.This is a developing story. Check back for updates. A child walks by as Chicago Police Department officials investigate a homicide in the 2100 block of West Madison Street on the Near West Side on Tuesday.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times ...read more read less