Nathaniel Potts
Age 16 (born 20 Nov 2009)20 May 2026
Raleigh, Illinois (USA)
Shot
Nathaniel was gender nonconforming and a student at El Dorado High School. He was shot in the back while running away from his killer.
The shooter (the grandson of the homeowner) claimed he as responding to a break-in, but there are reports that the owner of the home had allowed Nathaniel (and possibly his mother) to stay there.
A 16 year old teen died from gunshot injuries on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 in Raleigh, Illinois. Nathaniel Potts was an unarmed gender nonconforming teenager running away from the shooter during a domestic encounter. The shooter fired two shots, the second of which took Nathaniel’s life.
On the night in question, Nathaniel was in the home of 87-year-old Charles Maloney, the paternal grandfather of the shooter. The younger Maloney claimed he was responding to a break-in to protect his grandfather according to WPSD.
Illinois State Police were asked to take over the investigation because of a conflict involving local authorities. Investigators found two broken windows. They recovered spent shotgun shell casings outside the home. They determined Maloney had fired two shots after first claiming he fired one warning shot. Some reports indicate Nathaniel was on a phone call that recorded his shout that he was an unarmed 16 year old from WIFI Radio.
Maloney’s decision to take matters into his own hands, shooting an unarmed teenager running away from him, buttressed the prosecutor’s charge of three counts of First Degree Murder. He remains in custody. Media reports indicated Nathaniel was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Nathaniel’s family and friends have alleged that grandfather Chuck Maloney allowed Nathaniel to stay in the home, possibly treating him badly, and this was source of [the] shooters anger. It is difficult to confirm those allegations, especially before a trial, but the number one thing people are asking is “Why was Nathaniel in the house?” – assuming he was there to steal something. If Nathaniel had previously been invited and/or resided in the house, that presents at least one alternate explanation. If Chuck Maloney was mistreating Nathaniel, that presents another explanation. Others allege Nathaniel stayed in the house with his mother.
It is easy to sidestep community feedback, but with the vulnerability of LGBTQ+ kids to neglect and abuse – we have to keep raising these questions. I find we tend to sweep them under the rug, all of us. All of these questions matter, but not in this order and not as a priority. Regardless of the reason he was there, he was an unarmed teenager running away from the adult wielding a gun. Justin Maloney could have announced his presence, state that he was armed, and police were on the way.
Nathaniel was born in November 2009 in Marion, Illinois. He was a student at El Dorado High School. Friends describe him as respectful, kind, and helpful. Others talk about the fun they had with Nathaniel while arranging their hair, trying on clothes, and experimenting with makeup. His obituary provides more information.
Friends and family confirm Nathaniel was part of the LGBTQ+ community, but there is no specificity about his identity. Nathaniel’s presentation was gender nonconforming which is a broad term. Some have said Nathaniel was nonbinary, but there is no confirmation of that. So I am using gender nonconforming and the he/him pronouns others use to describe Nathaniel.
After all, Nathaniel was denied the opportunity to explore and expand his identity in every way. That’s the price everyone pays.
One need only read a few comments excoriating Nathaniel for his perceived identity – comments around his murder – to understand why visibility matters and how it could have been a factor in any aspect of his life. I think it is also important to note that for younger folx, the fluidity of gender identity and sexual orientation is more accepted and less threatening therefore requires fewer labels. Or sometimes more labels.
It doesn’t matter if Nathaniel was gay or straight, trans or cisgender, nonbinary or otherwise. It doesn’t matter why he was in the house. None of those things justify shooting an unarmed teenager in the back. Nothing does. We want to know and celebrate Nathaniel’s life, perhaps address specific issues that could help other youth. We want to see justice served. But learning those facts to know his life is different than using them to assign blame.
https://www.watsonfuneralhome.net/obituaries/Nathaniel-Joseph-Potts?obId=48519282
