When discussing dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago, names like Englewood or areas on the West Side often come to mind. However, the block that earns the grim title of Chicago’s most dangerous isn’t located where you might expect. It’s a section of South King Drive, a place with an unexpected connection to former First Lady Michelle Obama. This is “O Block.”
Officially, it’s known as the 6400 block of South Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Yet, for locals and in the chilling narratives of Chicago’s drill rap scene, particularly in the lyrics of artists like Chief Keef, it’s universally referred to as O Block.
This infamous block is characterized by the sprawling Parkway Gardens, a low-income apartment complex, dominating one side of the street. Opposite Parkway Gardens, a collection of businesses including an Auto Zone, a food mart, and the Chicago Crusader newspaper form the street’s other edge.
Here, young men in hoodies and sagging jeans congregate in the courtyards, their gazes wary and unwelcoming to strangers. Mothers move swiftly, clutching their children’s hands tightly as they navigate between the local school and the perceived safety of their apartments. Security cameras, ubiquitous in their presence, record the daily realities of life on O Block.
The block’s ominous moniker, “O Block,” is a tribute from gang members to Odee Perry, a 20-year-old member of their ranks who was fatally shot nearby in the summer of 2011. Police sources attribute his killing to Gakirah Barnes, a 17-year-old female gang assassin. Barnes herself later met a violent end not far from the same location.
Between June 2011 and June 2014, O Block witnessed a staggering 19 shootings, solidifying its grim status as the most dangerous block in Chicago for gun violence during that three-year period, according to a Chicago Sun-Times analysis.
Tragically, two of these shootings resulted in fatalities.
Adding to the chilling reality, none of these shootings led to criminal charges, and none of the weapons used were ever recovered.
The number of victims could have been even higher if not for sheer luck. In one incident, 22-year-old Gerald Preacely allegedly fired at a group on O Block and then at responding police officers. Miraculously, no one was hit. Preacely, already on parole for a prior gun offense, now faces attempted murder charges.
Despite its violent reputation, authorities suggest that conditions on O Block have actually improved somewhat. Statistics indicate that the majority of shootings during the aforementioned three-year period occurred in the initial two years, and no homicides have been recorded in the two years leading up to the report.
Shootings in the broader vicinity have also declined. O Block is situated within Chicago Police Department’s Beat 312, an area bordered by the Dan Ryan Expressway to the east, Cottage Grove to the west, and roughly between 63rd and 65th streets. Police data shows a 59 percent decrease in shootings in Beat 312 since 2012, through September of the reporting year.
To combat the persistent violence, law enforcement has increased officer presence in the area, both on foot and in patrol cars. This intensified focus is centered on a five-square-block “impact zone,” established in February 2013, with O Block at its core. Ten veteran officers, supplemented by new recruits from the police academy, are dedicated to patrolling this zone.
“Progress is being made in the beat and the whole district,” stated Robert Tracy, then chief of crime-control strategy for the Chicago Police Department.
Alderman Willie Cochran (20th Ward), a former police sergeant whose ward encompasses O Block, believes the police actions have sent a clear message to gangs that the violence must cease.
“The gangbangers have listened,” Cochran, a 26-year police veteran with experience patrolling O Block, asserted. “They have cooperated.”
However, while shootings may be less frequent, they haven’t vanished entirely.
One morning in October, even as children were safely inside Dulles Elementary School just a block north, O Block was once again marked by yellow police tape. Another shooting scene.
Residents of Parkway Gardens reported that gunfire had been ongoing throughout the night. Later that morning, a 22-year-old man was shot in the face inside the Parkway Super Market, located across from Parkway Gardens at 6435 S. King Dr. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
James Rufus, a butcher at Parkway Super Market, expressed a sentiment shared by many. Safety remains a distant prospect. He recounted how his 23-year-old nephew was shot on O Block months prior. A man in a hooded sweatshirt followed him from the supermarket and shot him in the head outside Parkway Gardens.
Rufus’s nephew survived but suffered paralysis, requiring a wheelchair after months of hospitalization. Rufus suspects a gang member from Woodlawn, mistaking his nephew for a rival, was responsible.
“It could be better, much better, around here,” Rufus lamented. “I see more kids during school hours than after school. They’re just hanging out. Things still need to change.”
Adding an unexpected layer to O Block’s narrative is its connection to Michelle Obama. During her infancy, her family resided in Parkway Gardens, the extensive apartment complex stretching along King Drive. She was under two years old when her family relocated from Parkway Gardens to a home on Euclid Avenue in 1965.
Recalling her childhood apartment complex, Michelle Obama described it to Time magazine in 2009 as “a wonderful, small apartment building.” However, her perspective shifted upon revisiting the area as an adult. “But now when I pass it, it’s — I was, like, God, I never saw that apartment in the way that I’m seeing it now.”
Over time, Parkway Gardens transformed into a stronghold for gangs. Police intelligence indicates that the Black Disciples currently control both sides of King Drive and Parkway Gardens, while the rival Gangster Disciples claim territory in the single-family homes to the east.
These gang rivalries are often fueled online, through social media platforms like Twitter and in rap songs shared on YouTube. Tragically, these virtual conflicts frequently spill into real-world violence.
This volatile environment has earned the area another chilling nickname: “Wiiic City,” an acronym for Wild, Insane, Crazy.
“You can catch a shooting in the rain, the snow or the sun,” a police officer familiar with the block stated. “The GDs won’t go in to the McDonald’s or the drive-through because that’s BD. It’s all about territory.”
The demolition of the nearby Randolph Towers, a Chicago Housing Authority high-rise complex, also played a role in the dynamics of crime on O Block. Randolph Towers, once a hub for the Black Disciples, was razed in 2007 as part of the CHA’s Plan for Transformation.
Following the demolition, many gang members relocated to Parkway Gardens, a privately managed, low-income apartment complex just a few blocks away. This influx intensified friction between the Black Disciples and Gangster Disciples in the area surrounding Parkway Gardens.
Fear of gangs permeates life around O Block.
“It’s rough,” one resident admitted. “A lot of shootings happen.”
A woman who has lived in Parkway Gardens for 25 years reflected on the changes: “It was nicer back then, flowers planted in the beds, the grass kept up, less violence in and around the complex. You have to watch yourself more these days.”
Another mother shared her solution for her daughter’s safety: “when she wants the girl to be able to play outdoors, she takes her to a park on the Southwest Side because of the frequent gunfire outside her apartment in Parkway Gardens.”
Stacey Griffin, another young mother, echoed these concerns: “I have to watch my back, always watching over your shoulder. The police do be around, but, I mean, crime still goes on. I rush my son in to the house because you never know what’s going to happen. I don’t allow my son to play in the playground, either. I would take him to a far-out, better neighborhood to let him play.”
A young man offered a stark warning to outsiders: “It’s dangerous out here. If you ain’t from here, don’t come here, please don’t. It’s real, it’s hectic.”
Chicago rapper Lil Durk, in his song “52 Bars (Part 4),” acknowledged the violence and paid tribute to Sheroid Liggins, a gang member killed on O Block: “Askin’ why they took Sheroid. Gave an inch they took a yard.”
In 2011, Reverend Corey Brooks gained national attention for his rooftop vigil, camping out for months atop a motel near O Block to highlight the area’s rampant gun violence. Brooks acknowledges some improvement but emphasizes that gang conflicts persist, often fueled by online rap videos.
Brooks notes the territorial boundaries that constrain residents: Gang members from Parkway Gardens risk violence if they cross Vernon Avenue to the east or venture north past 63rd Street. Through his rooftop campaign, Brooks raised over $450,000, acquired and demolished the motel, and is planning to build a community center in its place.
Reflecting on the drastic changes, Brooks contrasts the present-day O Block with the mid-1960s when Michelle Obama’s family lived there.
“The environment was family-focused,” he stated. “People were working. When you eliminate all those things from a community — men not in the household and education failing — it will be a drastic difference than what the first lady of the United States and her family experienced.”
Police Chief Tracy acknowledged that O Block remains a significant challenge.
“We have to stay ahead of it,” he said regarding the ongoing violence.
Law enforcement strategies include deploying additional officers to the “impact zone” and implementing tactics inspired by Yale sociologist Andrew Papachristos’s research on Chicago crime. These strategies involve “gang audits” to identify gang members and proactive interventions to prevent retaliatory violence after shootings.
Police are also actively monitoring social media for gang-related threats and identifying individuals at high risk of committing or becoming victims of violence, offering warnings and increased surveillance.
According to police, these tactics have shown promise in other areas of Chicago. In the 20 months before the implementation of the impact zone and increased patrols, O Block experienced 32 shootings. In the subsequent 20 months, that number decreased to 10, signaling potential progress.
The increased police presence is visible, with marked and unmarked cars regularly patrolling O Block and Parkway Gardens. Private security guards also patrol the courtyards within the complex.
Alderman Cochran credits these efforts and management changes at Parkway Gardens for the improvements. Related Companies took over management in late 2012, leading to increased security and the removal of unauthorized residents.
Related Companies also invested in the community by installing a $350,000 artificial turf field at Dulles Elementary School, aiming to provide a safe recreational space for local youth.
“The presence and quick response of officers has deterred crime recently,” Cochran stated. “We have not solved it 100 percent. But there has been a host of actions that have been taken.”
Despite these efforts, the underlying tensions persist. On a recent afternoon, numerous young men still loitered in the courtyards of Parkway Gardens. “Maybe you shouldn’t be here anymore,” one warned to a visitor.
Yvonne Gayden’s personal tragedy underscores the enduring impact of violence on O Block. Her 20-year-old son, Edward Riley, was fatally shot on O Block in 2011. Despite moving away from Parkway Gardens, the area remained central to her son’s life.
Gayden acknowledged her son’s troubled past but emphasized his inherent character: “He was no angel,” she admitted, “But I will not blame my son for hanging out at Parkway with his friends. He grew up with those guys.”
Yet, a mother’s instinct had warned her about the dangers of O Block.
“That place is a death trap,” she concluded.
O Block, therefore, is more than just a location on a map. It’s a complex intersection of poverty, gang violence, and resilience, forever marked by its past and striving for a safer future. It serves as a stark reminder of the challenges facing some of Chicago’s communities, even as glimmers of progress emerge.
