Chicago is a city of contrasts. It produces bright talents, influential politicians, and famous artists, but at the same time, it symbolizes a pain that never subsides on its streets. This is where LaSheena Weekly was born and raised—a woman whose story encompasses everything: from living in public housing to fighting against the gun violence that claimed two of her sons. She did not choose the spotlight, but circumstances made her a symbol of resilience, motherly courage, and a desire for peace. More at chicagoka.com.
Biography
LaSheena Weekly was born and raised in Chicago, on the city’s South Side, where life was always a mix of hardship and community support. She spent part of her childhood in the Ida B. Wells Homes—a well-known public housing project that provided roofs for thousands of African American families. It was here her character was forged—tough, yet compassionate.
On March 12, 2014, LaSheena’s life was forever divided into “before” and “after.” That day, a fire broke out in her apartment in the Englewood neighborhood. The fire destroyed almost everything, and most tragically, it claimed the life of her three-year-old daughter, LeAndra White. According to investigators, the child might have accidentally started the fire while playing with a lighter. At the time, Weekly had eight children. She tried to extinguish the flames herself while the rest of the family escaped. Her attempts to save her daughter were unsuccessful, and this loss left a deep wound that permanently changed her worldview. She often recalled that it was then she understood that life could be cut short in seconds—a knowledge that would later define her actions as a mother and an activist.
Losing a Son
Three years later, on July 17, 2017, another tragedy struck on Chicago’s South Side. Her eldest son, Jermaine Robinson, known as FBG Brick, was shot and killed along with his friend Stanley “Coby Mack” Mack in the Woodlawn neighborhood. Police arrived at the scene after a series of gunshots—witnesses heard at least twelve shots from different caliber weapons. Brick died from a gunshot to the head; his friend died nearby in a gangway between buildings. No arrests were made. Despite the publicity and community sympathy, the case remained unsolved. For LaSheena, this was a second devastating blow. She recalled the moment she saw her son’s body: “I fell to the ground. My younger son, Carlton, stood beside me, holding me, and I whispered to him, ‘Don’t do anything stupid, I need you alive.'” Those words, spoken through despair, turned out to be prophetic—a few years later, it would be Carlton, known as FBG Duck, who would become the next victim.
The Murder of FBG Duck
On August 4, 2020, Chicago was shaken by the news: Carlton Weekly (FBG Duck), a popular rapper, had been murdered in broad daylight in the upscale Gold Coast neighborhood. The attack was one of the most brazen in the city’s history—assailants opened fire from several vehicles. Duck died at the scene, despite bystanders’ attempts to help. LaSheena accused emergency services of a delayed response. She claimed her son could have been saved if medics had acted faster. This issue later became the subject of a journalistic investigation, which confirmed that medical assistance was indeed delayed.
In 2024, a federal court found six members of the O Block gang guilty of conspiracy and the murder of FBG Duck as part of a large-scale RICO case—a rare instance in the music industry where a court punished not only the perpetrators but also those who financed the criminal activity.
A Voice Against Violence
After losing two sons, LaSheena Weekly transformed her pain into a mission. She began to speak out openly against gun violence, urging young people not to follow the path of revenge. Her speeches quickly spread on social media. A few days after her son’s murder, she held a press conference where she pleaded for an end to the bloodshed.
Weekly joined “Warrior Moms,” a group that unites mothers who have lost children to violence. In 2021, she organized an initiative that sent over 50 teenagers from dangerous neighborhoods to Six Flags Great America, to give them at least one day of feeling safe and experiencing joy, away from street conflict.
In her public appearances, LaSheena also criticizes drill music, a genre that often romanticizes violence. She has repeatedly reached out to well-known artists, including Lil Durk, calling on them to stop using her son’s death in lyrics and videos. For her, this fight is not with the artists, but with a culture that makes death commonplace.
On October 9, 2024, LaSheena Weekly filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court. In the case, she acted as the administrator of her son FBG Duck’s estate. The lawsuit alleges that these individuals and organizations were part of a “criminal enterprise” that profited from violence and financed the contract killing. The demands include compensation for wrongful death, civil conspiracy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Personal Life
In 2021, Weekly was in a serious car accident in a car her son Duck had once gifted her. She survived but endured a long recovery. After this, she began sharing her experiences even more actively on social media, turning her Facebook and Instagram pages into a platform for supporting other mothers who have lost children. Despite the pain, LaSheena continues to live in Chicago. She says she cannot leave the city because it holds the graves of her children, as well as a community that needs her voice.
LaSheena Weekly’s story is not just a family tragedy, but a mirror of American reality, where music, poverty, and violence intertwine in a dangerous knot. She has survived the loss of three children but has not lost her faith. Her life is an example of how personal pain can become a driving force for social change. Weekly is not seeking fame; she is seeking justice. Her voice speaks for all the mothers of Chicago who live between love and fear, between memory and struggle. And perhaps, it is this voice that can change the culture of violence that took what was most precious from her.