The sister of a man who was seriously wounded in a shooting outside a funeral home earlier this month is speaking on his recovery as Chicago police search for the gunman.
Brandon Bradberry has a long road ahead after being shot three times in the head, neck, and face.
“Mentally I think he has a lot of anxiety of course,” said his younger sister Erika Ford-Oliver. “Physically, he’s going to be requiring a lot of rehab.”
His sister told NBC Chicago he was leaving a funeral for their nephew two weeks ago when he was shot.
“There was a bunch of kids there, so imagine if everyone had already been outside of the funeral,” she said. “It’s devastating, unfortunate, we’re mourning a death due to this violence that is happening and then more violence.”
The 38-year-old was one of two men injured in the drive by shooting right in front of Leak and Sons Funeral home on the South Side. Family said he was an innocent bystander. So far, the gunman still hasn’t been caught.
“I’m still in shock that this even happened,” she said. “They’re running out here traumatizing us you know, traumatizing people, traumatizing a city and it’s like, for no reason.”
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Ford-Oliver said her brother remains in the hospital eager to get back into the swing of things. She described him as athletic, adventurous, and said he loves spending time outdoors.
“He loves to rock climb,” she said. “We are all into rock climbing the little bit that we are because of Brandon.”
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Her brother has been the gym manager at First Ascent at Block 37 since 2018. His colleagues say he’s been instrumental in building the climbing community in Chicago. He’s now running its Reach program, a program he helped launched to give underprivileged kids an opportunity to climb.
“I think it's great that he is one of the pilots of that Reach program at the gym, because that’s something that’s so near and dear to him,” said his sister.
The climbing and Hyde Park community have poured into his family raising more than $60,000 in four days.
“We have him in our hearts always so to know there are people who are not blood related feel that same strong emotion for him is definitely helpful,” she said.
While police continue their search for the gunman, Ford-Oliver is confident her brother will bounce back and that justice will be served.
“There’s more to live for, there’s more to value you know?” she said. “It’s not your right to decide what to do with someone’s life.”
