The Harvey World Herald
Public Safety

'Vigilant but undeterred': Bullet from nearby shooting pierces car windshield of boxing club director

Johnny Arrington, Jr., 29, was at the club doing personal training with a client and their mom when he discovered a bullet embedded in his windshield Monday.

Harvey Boxing Club Director Johnny Arrington, Jr. is safe after a bullet pierced his windshield due to gunfire in the Downtown Harvey area on the fourth of July. Provided by Johnny Arrington, Jr.
Harvey Boxing Club Director Johnny Arrington, Jr. is safe after a bullet pierced his windshield due to gunfire in the Downtown Harvey area on the fourth of July. Provided by Johnny Arrington, Jr.
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By Amethyst J. Davis

The Harvey Boxing Club Director is safe after a bullet pierced the windshield of their car following a shooting during the fourth of July holiday.

Johnny Arrington, Jr., 29, was at the club doing personal training with a client and their mom when he discovered a bullet embedded in his windshield Monday.

“It’s definitely a surreal feeling to think how fast and random stuff like that can happen, and how if I’d been walking to my truck I’d have been directly in the line of fire,” Arrington, Jr. said.

“I’ve seen a lot in this neighborhood and I’ve been taught to never live in fear, so beyond that I’m fine. God has me. And, when it’s my time, it’s my time. But, until then I will keep doing what I love in the city that I love.”

Arrington, Jr. added that he’s “vigilant but undeterred.”

There were no other children inside other than the one receiving training, he said.

He later posted an image of a spider-cracked windshield and himself holding a bullet fragment on social media. Arrington, Jr. hasn’t yet made plans to repair the windshield but Restoration Ministries, a faith-based organization that owns the club, offered to pay for it, he said.

The then-24 year old Harvey native joined the club as director in 2018.

“It came full circle for me since I was part of the club and organization as a youth,” Arrington, Jr. said about his tenure as director of the club, which opened in 2002 after Restoration staff realized boxing could be a refuge from street violence.

“I love my job, neighborhood, and these kids, as well as the sport of boxing. The most rewarding thing is to see the growth and development of our members—spiritually, emotionally, and physically.”

Shooting during the fourth of July weekend isn’t uncommon in Harvey, and gunshots can often be mistaken for fireworks, making it harder to tell the difference between the two.

City officials recently hosted a parade and carnival along Broadway Avenue, where the club is located, to celebrate Independence Day.

There were no official reports of gunfire in the Downtown Harvey area during the fourth of July weekend, according to police officials.

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author
Amethyst J. Davis@APurple_Reign

Founder

Amethyst J. Davis is responsible for spearheading the growth and development of the HWH, including outlining the editoral trajectory and content. She also produces “The Renaissance Letter,” our biweekly email newsletter. 

Amethyst was an administrator at New York University before launching her journalism career. She is also a member of the Sounding Board, the community advisory board for Chicago Public Media, which includes WBEZ Chicago and the Chicago Sun-Times. Amethyst was recently a Casey Fellow with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Black News & Views, where she covered health and COVID-19 for the NABJ’s newly launched digital news service.

Amethyst is a Brooks Middle School ('11) and Thornton Township High School alum (‘15) and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from NYU (BA'19). She recently completed the Data and Policy Summer Scholar program at the University of Chicago.

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