Epkins, Carey

One night, getting lost on his way to a party in Chicago, he stopped his car in the Lawndale neighborhood to ask three young hearing women on the curb for directions. Confused by Epkins' gestures and signs, the girls shouted to two men, members of a gang, lounging nearby. As the men came over, Epkins made a shrugging gesture, which was misinterpreted by the men as the sign of a rival gang. One punched Epkins, who then jumped into his car and attempted to drive away. The men jumped in after him and the car went half a block before stopping; one man shot Epkins on the way and fled with pistol in hand. Despite emergency surgery at a hospital, Epkins was pronounced dead little more than an hour later. Police traced down and arrested the two gang members, and the gunman was tried and sentenced to prison for 40 years.