Retired Cook County Corrections Officer Slain In Greater Grand Crossing
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A retired Cook County corrections officer was shot and killed overnight, while trying to help a friend plan a fundraiser.
Ira Cotton, 56, was standing outside a home in the 7400 block of South Ingleside Avenue around 12:10 a.m., when a man walked up and demanded his car keys.
A witness said Cotton was standing on the porch when the suspect walked up. After Cotton handed over the keys and turned to walk inside the home, the suspect shot him in the back and legs, according to the witness.
Cotton was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. His mother said he later died from massive blood loss.
Cotton was married, and a father of two. He worked as a Cook County corrections officer for 20 years. His father was a Chicago police officer for 33 years.
Gloria Cotton said her son was the ultimate helper.
"Ira did everything; mowed the lawns, kept everything up – the hallways, and mopping, and everything up here," she said.
Police said Cotton's vehicle was not taken. No one was in custody Wednesday morning. Area Central detectives were investigating.
In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Cook County sheriff's office said, "Officer Cotton gave 20 years of his life to serving his community and making Cook County a safer place. Sheriff Dart joins his friends, family and former Cook County Jail colleagues in mourning his tragic death."
