Man gets 25 years after killing 9-year-old boy in Cabrini Green

CHICAGO — A man received 25 years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty for the murder of 9-year-old Janari Ricks.

Ricks was gunned down while playing outside with his friends in Cabrini Green on a Friday in August 2020.

His mother, Jalisa Ford, told WGN News at the time that Ricks was inside all day until a friend asked him to play outside.

“He was in the house all day, he didn’t come out ’til maybe after 5 when one of his friends knocked on the door to ask if he could come outside to play,” Ford said. “And I allowed him to come out to play with his friends. He never made it back to the house.”

Darrell Johnson was arrested a few days after the shooting. Johnson opened fire on a small group of people and Ricks was not the intended target.

He pleaded guilty Thursday and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Ricks’ mother, Jalisa Ford, started the 1 Jar Foundation to reduce gun violence in and around Cabrini Green. She gives away backpacks and supplies every year before school starts in honor of Ricks.

CPS gave Ford an honorary 8th grade diploma for her son in June.