BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor
Four people were murdered last week in citywide violence.
The youngest victim was a 20-month-old boy, while the oldest was a 69-year-old man. Two men have been charged with murder in those killings.
Two of the killings were shootings, one was a stabbing and the toddler died of child abuse.
The most recent murder happened when 72-year-old Roosevelt Shaffer fatally stabbed 69-year-old friend Raymond Robinson about 10 a.m. Friday in the Bethel Terrace Senior Living facility in the 900 block of West 63rd Street, authorities said.
Shaffer allegedly stabbed Robinson in with a boning knife after they argued about a jacket in the hallway outside Robinson’s room, according to court records.
Robinson died about an hour later at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. ordered Shaffer held on $500,000 bond at a hearing Sunday.
On Thursday, officers responding to a call of shots fired found 30-year-old Andre Hughes dead in an alley about 9 p.m. in the 300 block of North Parkside Avenue in the Austin neighborhood, authorities said.
Hughes, of an unidentified home address, was shot multiple times and was dead at the scene, medical examiner’s office.
In the South Shore neighborhood, 26-year-old Vernon Henry allegedly beat his girlfriend’s 20-month-old son Thursday morning in the 6900 block of South Cornell Avenue for being a “wuss,” authorities said.
The boy, Adonta McCoy, died died Saturday at the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, according to the medical examiner’s office. He was diagnosed with severe brain injuries resulting from a lack of oxygen to the brain, multiple abrasions and bleeding in the eyes.
Prosecutors said an irritated Henry again called the child a “crybaby,” then grabbed Adonta by the arms, lifted him off the floor and shook him violently. The little boy’s head snapped back and forth and his jaw snapped open and closed.
Prosecutors said Henry put his hand around Adonta’s throat and choked the boy, who gasped for air but still sobbed. Henry then allegedly shoved Adonta into a dresser.
Judge Bourgeois ordered Henry held without bond at a Sunday hearing.
The killings started last week when 14-year-old Venzel Richardson was fatally shot about 8:20 p.m. Wednesday while walking with others in the 6100 block of South Vernon Avenue in the Woodlawn community, authorities said.
A van drove up to the group and somebody inside opened fire, striking Venzel multiple times, authorities said. Nobody else in the group was injured.
Venzel, of the 6400 block of South St. Lawrence Avenue, was dead on the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office has ruled 36 Chicago deaths in 2014 homicides — including one alleged robber fatally shot by a sheriff’s lieutenant. Chicago Police, which counts murders different, has ruled at least three of those deaths involuntary manslaughter or justified self-defense.