▁County , ▁and ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁each ▁paid ▁one - third ▁to ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁nine ▁pla int iffs . ▁Given ▁revel ations ▁about ▁the ▁illegal ▁CO IN TE L PRO ▁program ▁and ▁documents ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁kill ings , ▁sch ol ars ▁now ▁widely ▁consider ▁Ham pton ' s ▁death ▁an ▁assass ination ▁under ▁the ▁F BI ' s ▁initi ative . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁youth ▁Ham pton ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁August ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁in ▁present - day ▁Sum mit , ▁Illinois , ▁and ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁May wood , ▁both ▁sub ur bs ▁of ▁Chicago . ▁His ▁parents ▁had ▁moved ▁north ▁from ▁Louisiana , ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁M igration ▁of ▁African ▁Americans ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁South . ▁They ▁both ▁worked ▁at ▁the ▁Ar go ▁St arch ▁Company . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁youth , ▁Ham pton ▁was ▁gift ed ▁both ▁in ▁the ▁class room ▁and ▁athlet ically , ▁and ▁dream ed ▁of ▁playing ▁center ▁field ▁for ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Yan ke es . ▁He ▁graduated ▁from ▁Pro vis o ▁East ▁High ▁School ▁with ▁hon ors ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁and ▁en rolled ▁at ▁T rit on ▁Junior ▁College ▁in ▁nearby ▁River ▁Gro ve , ▁Illinois , ▁where ▁he ▁major ed ▁in ▁pre - law . ▁He ▁planned ▁to ▁become ▁more ▁familiar ▁with ▁the ▁legal ▁system ▁to ▁use ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁defense ▁against ▁police . ▁When ▁he ▁and ▁fellow ▁Black ▁Pan thers