Please help Gavin—known to many online as Pec Inspector (@pec_inspector)—recover after a violent attack left him with extremely serious, life-altering injuries. On Sunday evening, August 30, Gavin was attacked in his apartment building in Chicago’s Lakeview/Boystown neighborhood and shot in the neck. He survived, but now faces a long period of treatment and rehabilitation. If you are able to help, please donate. If you can’t donate, sharing this fundraiser is enormously helpful.

Gavin spent several days in intensive care and is now beginning what doctors expect will be a long and difficult recovery. His injuries are extremely serious and will affect his life far beyond his initial hospitalization.

Many people know Gavin through Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community, bodybuilding and fitness circles, his online presence, or simply as a friend. Since the shooting, people from all of those parts of his life have been asking what they can do to help.

Gavin will be unable to work for the foreseeable future. His income has stopped at exactly the moment when his medical, rehabilitation, housing, transportation, and everyday needs are becoming substantially greater.

Funds raised here will help with:

We do not yet know exactly what Gavin’s recovery will require or what his needs will look like months from now. That uncertainty is one of the reasons we are asking for help now.

Our goal is simple: Gavin should be able to devote his energy to healing, rehabilitation, and figuring out what comes next without simultaneously worrying about how he is going to pay his bills.

I’m Jack, a friend of Gavin’s, and I organized this fundraiser on his behalf. Gavin is being added as the beneficiary so that the funds can be transferred directly to him and used for his recovery and living expenses.

If you are able to donate, please give whatever you can. If you cannot donate, please share this fundraiser. Gavin has an enormous community of people who know and care about him, both in Chicago and online, and getting this page in front of those people can make a significant difference.

Thank you to everyone who has already visited, called, sent messages, donated, shared this fundraiser, or offered to help. Gavin has an enormous amount ahead of him. We want to make sure he has the resources and support to face it.

What to know right now

How is Gavin doing?

Gavin survived and will be leaving intensive care soon, but his injuries are extremely serious and life-altering. He now faces a long period of treatment and rehabilitation.

How can I help?

The most helpful things right now are to donate to the fundraiser and share it widely. Gavin’s recovery will be long, and giving him financial stability is one of the most concrete ways to support him.

Can I visit Gavin?

Not right now. Gavin is not currently receiving visitors. Please do not contact him or his friends asking to be added to a visitor list or requesting an exception. We will let people know when Gavin is ready and able to receive visitors.

Should I text or message Gavin?

Supportive messages are welcome, but please do not expect or request a response, ask Gavin for medical updates, or repeatedly follow up if you don’t hear back. He needs to be able to focus on treatment, rehabilitation, and rest.

What happened?

An assailant gained access to Gavin’s building, confronted him with a gun, forced him inside, and attempted to assault him. During the encounter, Gavin was shot in the neck before the assailant fled.

Has anyone been arrested?

The person believed responsible is now in custody, and the police investigation remains ongoing.

Why aren’t you sharing more details?

Gavin has experienced an extraordinary physical and emotional trauma. There are details about the attack, his injuries, and his recovery that he may choose to share publicly in his own time. We are asking everyone to respect that.