Seeking to expand on the success of the Rainbow Coalition, the Panthers' Fred Hampton approached the Rangers' Jeff Fort with a plan to unite all of Chicago's gangs. The idea was based on some earlier successes. In addition to the alliance with the Young Lords and the Young Patriots, a Panther chapter founded by former Disciples had already merged with Hampton's group. And the Rangers, Vice Lords, and Egyptian Cobras all attended a "Free Huey" rally in October 1968 where one of the speakers described the various gangs as the "warriors we need" and urged unity." A few weeks later, a coalition met to organize protests against the government's treatment of the Panthers; present at the meeting were representatives of the P Stone Nation, the Conservative Vice Lords, and other gangs, as well as more prominent figures like C. T. Vivian and Jesse Jackson...

... Merging the two groups would have doubled the size of the Panthers nationally. The FBI naturally sought to prevent any alliance. The Illinois field office suggested a rumor campaign that would lead Fort "to exact some form of retribution" against the BPP. They sent him an anonymous letter: "There's supposed to be a hit out for you." This tactic was designed, as the FBI explained in a memo, "[to] intensify the degree of animosity between the two groups and occasion Fort to take retaliatory action which could disrupt the [BPP] or lead to reprisals against its leadership. Consideration has been given to a similar letter to the [BPP] alleging a Ranger plot against the [Panther] leadership; however, it is not felt this would be productive primarily because the [BPP] at present is not believed as violence prone as the Rangers to whom violent type activity-shooting and the like is second nature." The ploy failed. Fort was never inclined to believe the phony letter. In fact, he recognized it as a transparent attempt at manipulation and merely found it amusing.

Eventually the police resorted to more direct measures. On the morning of December 4, 1969, at 4:00 a.m., fourteen police armed with submachine guns literally shot their way into Hampton's apartment. The police fired ninety-eight rounds, killing Fred Hampton and Mark Clark (head of the Peoria, Illinois, BPP) and injuring three others. Hampton was shot five times - three times in the chest and then twice in the head.

Two thousand Stones made a brief but dramatic appearance at Fred Hampton's funeral. And even after Hampton's death, Jeff Fort continued to dream of an alliance. In a 1970 editorial, he called for unity between the Panthers, Disciples, Vice Lords, and Rangers, writing: "The greatest and wildest dream of the fathers and mothers, men and women, sisters and brothers in the Black Chicago community is that we settle our differences and truly come together. Our unity is also the thing that [is] most feared [by] our oppressors. This is obvious from all the foul schemes our oppressors have used to keep us divided."

— Gang Politics by Kristian Williams (Page 58 - 60)