Second person charged in connection with fatal shooting of Vietnam vet Robert Howard Jr. in University Village

Kevin Mason | Chicago Police

Kevin Mason | Chicago Police

A second person has been charged with the fatal January shooting of Vietnam veteran Robert Howard Jr. in the University Village neighborhood.

Kevin Mason, 22, faces one count of first-degree murder for the Jan. 26 shooting death of the 62-year-old Howard in the 1000 block of West Maxwell Street, according to Chicago Police. Howard was found shot once in the head.

Police initially said the shooting might have been related to an earlier dispute with a neighbor.

Three days after Howard’s death, authorities charged a neighbor, 45-year-old Charneise Silas, with one felony count of aggravated battery. She was ordered held on a $250,000 bond.

Charneise SIlas | Chicago Police

Charneise SIlas | Chicago Police

Police said Silas was among an unspecified number of people who carried out the fatal shooting, and multiple persons of interest were being questioned.

Mason, of the 1300 block of Blue Island, is scheduled to appear in bond court Friday.

Howard was part of the VALOR program which pairs military veterans struggling with post traumatic stress disorder with animals that had been abused, neglected or used for fighting.

After his death, his dog Apollo was left homeless.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Robert Howard Jr. and Apollo

Robert Howard Jr. and Apollo

blog comments powered by Disqus