Choir Director Killed

2008-01-02

Donald Young, 47, a choir conductor at the Trinity United Church of Christ, 400 W. 95th, was found dead in his South Side apartment Dec. 23. He suffered several gunshot wounds and police are investigating his death as a homicide.

It was the second major loss at the church in the past two months. Anthony Hollins, a Hazel Crest resident who helped lead the HIV/AIDS support ministry at Trinity, passed away Nov. 25 in Stroger Hospital of complications from AIDS.

For the past two decades, Young, who was gay, led the choir at Trinity, which is the home church of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, his wife Michelle and their family.

Young was also a teacher, guiding fourth-graders at Guggenheim Elementary School, 7141 S. Morgan, The Chicago Tribune reported. He was planning to become a Chicago Public Schools principal.

According to The Chicago Sun-Times, Michelle Obama called the passing “sad,” adding “ [h]e was very well-known in the church family.”

A wake and funeral for Young were held Sat., Dec. 29, at the church. Over 3,000 people attended.

Chicago police have released a Crime Stoppers poster offering a $1,000 reward for information in Young's slaying. Anyone with information should call 311 or 800-535-STOP.