A beloved Chicago high school basketball coach and former local standout player has been found shot dead inside a South Side home.
Tim Bankston, 60, was discovered by a friend around 10am on Wednesday, July 29, inside a residence in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood.
Authorities confirmed Bankston suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the abdomen and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Chicago Police Department is investigating the fatal shooting and no arrests have been made as the investigation remains ongoing.
Family members revealed that Bankston, who resided in Gary, Indiana, was visiting a friend’s house when the tragedy occurred, with the friend returning home to discover him shot on the floor.
Bankston was a celebrated figure in the Chicago basketball scene, having served as a starting point guard at basketball powerhouse Simeon High School in the 1980s.
Beloved Chicago high school basketball coach Tim Bankston was found shot dead at 60
Bankston, 60, was discovered by a friend around 10am on Wednesday, July 29, inside a residence in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood.
Following his high school career, Bankston played collegiate basketball at Bradley University and Loyola University Chicago before dedicating decades of his life to coaching and mentoring youth.
Devastated relatives and former players paid emotional tributes to the late coach following the tragic news.
‘My dad is a part of me. I have his name. I can carry his legacy,’ his son, Timothy Bankston Jr, told reporters, with Bankston also leaving behind a wife and two daughters.
Bankston’s sister, Karolyn Wright, expressed her grief over the circumstances surrounding his death: ‘For someone to just cowardly shoot him like that and leave him on the floor to die… He was such a beautiful spirit, such a great brother, more than just a basketball coach. More than just a basketball legend. A family man.’
His other sister, Jennifer, remembered him as a ‘gentle giant,’ while his great-niece, Kailey-Rose, added: ‘He was always willing to help on and off the court… Just kids in need. He was a person who was very, very generous at heart.’
Former players recalled how Bankston went above and beyond his duties on the court to serve as a father figure and life mentor.
‘My dad is a part of me. I have his name. I can carry his legacy,’ son Timothy Bankston Jr said
Former player Wayne Montgomery, 35, shared how Bankston stepped in to guide him through adolescence, instilling lessons about ‘honesty and discipline’ while prioritizing academic success.
‘Not a bad bone in his body,’ Montgomery said. ‘He was so much more than just a coach. A mentor, a friend, a teacher. He touched so many lives.’
In an official statement, Thornton Fractional High School District 215 honored Bankston’s lasting legacy across the community.
‘He was not just beloved; he was a mentor that countless alumni credit for being the overriding influence that made them into the positive, productive members of communities that they are today,’ the district stated.
