Lil Zay Osama responded with action and empathy after a disturbing video surfaced showing a mother and her 9-year-old son being violently attacked by a group of children on Chicago’s Far South Side.
The rapper, who grew up in the same city streets where the attack took place, announced Tuesday he would fly 33-year-old Corshawnda and her son to Los Angeles for a holiday dinner and Christmas shopping spree.
According to CBS News, the offer came after footage of the brutal beating spread across social media, capturing the moment several minors punched, kicked and dragged the pair near Orville T. Bright Elementary School in the South Deering neighborhood.
“It’s just something that shouldn’t be going on; kids should be able to go to school and be comfortable walking home from school and at school learning. Kids of that age should not be doing things like that, especially to an adult and to their peers they go to school with. That’s crazy, that shouldn’t be happening in our community, we gotta do better,” Lil Zay Osama said.
The incident occurred around 3:10 P.M. Monday as the mother and her children were walking home along the 10600 block of South Bensley Avenue.
Both Corshawnda and her son were hospitalized at Trinity Hospital and remain in serious condition, according to police. No arrests have been made.
Corshawnda said her son has faced bullying at the school for more than two years and accused administrators of failing to intervene. Her daughter, she added, witnessed the entire assault.
“I asked my kids to come to the next side of the street with me so they wouldn’t get jumped, so we kept walking. They followed us all the way there, they hit my son first, dragged me in the grass and pulled my baby’s hair,” she said. “I’m trying to get justice for my son. I’m thankful to everybody that came out here to support me.”
The video, which quickly went viral, prompted outrage from the community and led to a rally outside the school on Tuesday morning.
Demonstrators chanted “No justice. No peace” and demanded accountability from both the attackers and the adults responsible for them.
Illinois State Sen. Willie Preston attended the protest and criticized the broader system for failing to address youth violence.
“The video was horrible,” Preston said. “The video was disgusting, and the video was a symptom of something that’s been going on for a long time. We haven’t held these kids accountable. We haven’t held these parents accountable for the violent actions that their children are doing.”
Chicago Public Schools released a statement condemning the attack and said it was working with city agencies to support the victims.
The district emphasized its commitment to student safety and to resolving conflicts through appropriate channels.
Mayor Brandon Johnson also weighed in, calling the behavior “unacceptable” and promising increased police presence in the area.
For Lil Zay Osama, the incident hit close to home.
The rapper, who recently completed a 14-month federal sentence for firearm possession, said he couldn’t ignore the pain of a family going through something so traumatic—especially with his own children in mind.
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