Parents call for answers and justice after 27-year-old drummer Ryan 'Tygercat' Arliskas was gunned down in McKinley Park
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The parents of a 27-year-old musician gunned downed on the city's Southwest Side spoke out Monday, only to CBS 2.
They told CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey they refuse to let their son's death to be just one more example of the senseless violence plaguing the city.
Most people knew Ryan Arliskas by the nickname "Tygercat." He was an incredibly talented drummer and a loving big brother, and his family said they won't stop until they get answers about the shooting that killed him.
Arliskas, a native of Crystal Lake, kept his own beat. He played with several bands.
He also touched plenty of lives through his music, and his kindness -
His mom, Molly, and dad, Adam, included.
"I would tell Ryan on the phone all the time, 'Just be careful,' and he always said, 'Of what, Mom?'" said Molly Arliskas.
Ryan Arliskas was shot on the sidewalk as he was walking home around 10:30 p.m. Friday near 35th Street and Damen Avenue in McKinley Park.
"His AirPods were still in his ears," said Adam Arliskas.
Dispatch reports indicated that Ryan Arliskas was shot twice through the neck. It wasn't a robbery. The attackers didn't take anything from him.
Police called Ryan's parents the next morning.
"I said, 'Is my son OK?' And he said, 'We don't like to do this over the phone, but he's not OK,'" said Molly Arliskas.
"This was a was a senseless murder in Chicago, and it's one of many that happen every day," added Adam Arliskas, "and we're not asking for special treatment. We just we just want some kind of justice."
Ryan's parents say they don't accept the thought that this is "normal" for Chicago, and they refuse to stop pushing until the person or persons responsible are caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.
"I just - I don't want him to be forgotten," said Molly Arliskas. "I want this to be brought up."
The Arliskas family is asking anyone with information that can help to come forward. Just like Ryan's music will live on, they want his death to mean something.
Investigators told the family there is surveillance video showing three people running from the scene down an alley. Our requests to air that video were denied at this time.
There was no one in custody in Ryan Arliskas' murder Monday, and Area One detectives are investigating. We will keep following up.
