Zachary Stoner, known to everyone as ZackTV, was a giant in Chicago. He wasn't just some guy with a camera. People called him the "Hood CNN" because he went where the nightly news wouldn't dare. He sat on porches with kids who had prices on their heads and gave a microphone to people the world had written off. Then, in the early hours of May 30, 2018, it all stopped.
The zacktv cause of death was officially ruled a homicide after a targeted shooting in Chicago’s South Loop. He was 30 years old.
If you’ve spent any time in the drill music scene or deep in YouTube’s documentary rabbit holes, you know Zack was different. He didn't pick sides. He interviewed GDs and BDs alike. But that neutrality is a dangerous tightrope to walk in Chicago. When the news broke that he’d been gunned down, the city didn't just lose a blogger. It lost a bridge.
The Night Everything Went Wrong
Zack spent his final evening at the Refuge nightclub on South Clark Street. It was a rap concert, the kind of event he lived for. But according to witness reports later obtained by the Associated Press, the vibe wasn't right. There was a rap battle between rival factions. It got tense. Zack, usually the coolest guy in the room, seemed nervous. He told his friends they needed to leave.
They left around 1:30 a.m.
Zack was driving his silver Jeep Cherokee. He had two friends in the car with him. They hadn't gone more than three blocks when a minivan pulled up alongside them.
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The gunfire was sudden and heavy. Bullets riddled the driver's side of the Jeep. One hit Zack in the shoulder; another struck him behind the ear, lodging in his brain. The Jeep veered wildly, jumping a curb and slamming into a light pole near the 700 block of South Clark Street.
A neighbor named Aaron Dunlap caught the immediate aftermath on video. In the footage, you can see people jumping out of a damaged Chevy Caprice and running to a third vehicle. Someone yells, "Let’s go!" and they peel off.
Why the Case Went Cold
For years, it felt like the system just didn't care. But in 2022, a massive investigation by Michael Tarm of the AP revealed that Chicago police actually did believe they solved it.
They arrested five members of the South Side "Perry Avenue" gang in 2018 and 2019. They had video, cellphone data, and ballistics. They were sure.
But the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office refused to prosecute.
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Why? It basically came down to a controversial legal concept called "mutual combatants." Because one of Zack's passengers had pulled a gun and returned fire through the windshield, prosecutors claimed they couldn't prove who started it. They also cited "inconsistent witnesses." Basically, in a neighborhood where "no snitching" is a survival tactic, nobody was willing to be the star witness in a murder trial.
The suspects were released. To this day, nobody has been convicted for Zack's murder.
Was it the Journalism or the Street?
There are a hundred theories about why Zack was targeted. Some say it was his coverage of the Kenneka Jenkins case—the teenage girl found dead in a hotel freezer. Zack had been receiving death threats and even had his house broken into after interviewing people close to that case. He told his followers he was being watched.
Others think it was simpler and more tragic.
Zack gave platforms to rival gangs. If he interviewed a rapper from one block, the rival block saw it as an insult. He was a neutral party in a war that doesn't recognize neutrality. His mentor, Tony Woods, often spoke about how Zack would talk guys down from "riding on their opps." He was actively trying to stop the violence he was filming.
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Honestly, it's a miracle he lasted as long as he did. He knew the risks. In one of his own videos, he said, "You just gotta be prepared." He even had a loaded .40-caliber pistol at his feet when he was shot, but he never got a chance to use it.
The Legacy of ZackTV1
Zack pioneered a style of "street journalism" that basically created the modern YouTube landscape. Without him, you don't have the current wave of vloggers going into "dangerous" neighborhoods. But Zack had a heart they often lack. He wasn't there for the "clout" in the way people are today. He genuinely wanted to show the culture—the clothes, the slang, the humanity.
- He gave Chief Keef his first on-camera interview.
- He interviewed legends like L'A Capone and G Count.
- He ran blanket drives and worked with local churches.
He was trying to "change Chiraq into Chicago." That was his dream.
Actionable Insights for Following the Case
If you're looking to understand the full scope of what happened or want to keep the memory of his work alive, here’s what you should do:
- Watch the AP Investigative Mini-Doc: The Associated Press released a detailed look at the police records in 2022. It’s the most factual breakdown of the "mutual combatant" decision.
- Archive the Content: Zack’s YouTube channel, ZackTV1, is a historical archive of Chicago culture from 2009 to 2018. Many of these videos are at risk of being removed by YouTube's shifting policies on "violent" content.
- Support Local Independent Media: Zack proved that you don't need a big network to tell important stories. Supporting independent journalists in your own city is the best way to honor his "Hood CNN" legacy.
The tragedy of the zacktv cause of death isn't just how he died, but that the justice system used the very violence he was trying to document as an excuse to let his killers walk free. He deserved better. Chicago deserved better.