By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire
The weather turned colder last week, but that couldn’t stop the violence, as 22 more people died as the result of homicides in Chicago, including the teenage grandson of a congressman, pushing the year’s homicide toll past 700 for the first time in nearly 20 years.
He was one of four people killed in separate shootings on the South and West sides Thursday as the city surpassed the 700 homicide total for the first time since 1998.
A total 0f 704 homicides were reported that year, a number already surpassed in mid-November with the 708th homicide of the year recorded (including 10 people who died this year of injuries suffered in attacks in earlier years) on Nov. 20. Last year the city recorded 473 homicides for the entire year.
Shootings are also far surpassing the 2015 totals, with Chicago Police reporting 3,165 shooting incidents through Wednesday. More than 3,290 people have been injured in those shootings, and that does not include the 630-plus who died as a result of being shot.
Police statistics show a 49 percent increase in shooting incidents over a year ago, and a 54 percent increase in homicides, though police had only reported 654 homicides as of last Wednesday. Police do not include prior-year incidents, shootings they consider self-defense or accidental, or fatal shootings that occur on interstate highways which are investigated by Illinois State Police.
The 701st homicide victim of 2016 was Javon Wilson, the teenage grandson of U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, who was shot to death in his Englewood home Friday evening. About 6:45 p.m., the 15-year-old was inside his home in the 5600 block of South Princeton when two people came in, started arguing with the boy, and then shot him in the head, according to Chicago Police and a statement from the congressman’s office.
Wilson was pronounced dead at the scene. According to Davis, the two people who broke in were a 17-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy who pulled a gun. On Sunday, Tariq Harris, 16; and Diajae Banks, 17, were charged with murder and home invasion, and ordered held without bond.
- The week’s final homicide was a man fatally shot Sunday evening in the East Side neighborhood on the Far South Side. Paul Cruz, 31, was outside just after 5 p.m. in the 10300 block of South Avenue M when a dark-colored SUV pulled up and someone inside fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Cruz was shot in the abdomen and was pronounced dead at the scene.
- A man was fatally shot early Sunday in the West Rogers Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side. Officers called about 4:30 a.m. to the 2400 block of West Devon discovered 28-year-old Abimbola Sheleru lying in an alley, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Sheleru was shot multiple times in the back and taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was pronounced dead about three hours later.
- A 24-year-old aspiring rapper was fatally shot earlier Sunday in the Wicker Park neighborhood on the North Side. Matthew Rodgers, who performed and recorded videos as Young Affishal, was walking about 3 a.m. in the 1300 block of North Moorman when someone in a red Nissan Pathfinder fired shots, striking him multiple times, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Rodgers was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later. Ald. Joe Moreno said Rodgers was killed leaving the troubled Esso nightclub, and he would work with the city and the owner to close the venue down permanently.
- A man was shot dead after an argument early Sunday in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side, police said. At 3:20 a.m., Michael M. Gipson, 40, was arguing with an acquaintance who pulled a gun and opened fire in the 7800 block of South Michigan, authorities said. Gipson, who lived in the same block, was shot in the abdomen and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
- Sunday’s first murder victim was a man shot to death in West Englewood. Officers responding about 12:50 a.m. to a call of shots fired found the 22-year-old man lying face down on the sidewalk in the 6400 block of South Oakley. Odell Jones Jr. had been shot in the back and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office and police.
- A man was killed and a 13-year-old boy seriously wounded in a shooting Saturday morning in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side. The boy and 18-year-old man were walking about 11:15 a.m. in the 1400 block of North Latrobe when someone fired at them, according to police. Kevin Shorter, 18, was shot in the head and was dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office. The boy was shot in the face and was in serious condition.
- Another man was shot to death Saturday morning in Englewood. Simion Jackson, 22, was shot in the head at 9:12 a.m. in the 6700 block of South Morgan, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Jackson was pronounced dead at the scene, and an autopsy found he died of multiple gunshot wounds.
- A man was discovered shot to death in the backyard of a Gage Park neighborhood home earlier Saturday on the Southwest Side. Officers found the 27-year-old about 12:15 a.m. in the 3500 block of West 57th Street, according to police. Guadalupe Antonio Saucedo-Garcia was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:56 a.m. of multiple gunshot wounds.
- A 42-year-old man was shot dead late Thursday in the Rosemoor neighborhood on the Far South Side. Joseph Anderson was discovered on the floor of his apartment in the 400 block of East 107th and pronounced dead at 10:35 p.m. with a gunshot wound to the face, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
- One man was fatally shot and another wounded Thursday afternoon in a shooting in the Roseland neighborhood on the Far South Side. The men were in the backyard of a residence in the 11200 block of South Edbrooke at 1:12 p.m. when someone fired shots from an alley, according to police. Jarod Morris, 22, was shot in the lower back and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead. A 19-year-old man was shot in the right elbow and was in serious condition.
- A man was killed in a drive-by shooting Thursday morning in the South Side Auburn Gresham neighborhood. Eddie King, 27, was in the 8300 block of South Hamilton at 11:41 a.m. when a black vehicle approached and someone inside fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was shot multiple times and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.
- A father of four being driven to work by his pregnant daughter Thursday morning was shot to death in the Back of The Yards neighborhood on the South Side. About 4:45 a.m., the 38-year-old was exiting a vehicle in the 4200 block of South Racine when someone opened fire from a passing dark-colored SUV, according to police. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the body and head, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Family members identified the victim as Elijah “Fat Head” Murphy, whose 20-year old pregnant daughter was driving him to work at a meat packing facility.
- A man was slain in the West Side Austin neighborhood on Wednesday night, according to police. Officers responding about 8 p.m. to a call of a person down found the 31-year-old bleeding on the sidewalk in the 5200 block of West Quincy, police said. Roy Love suffered a gunshot wound to the right shoulder and was taken to Loretto Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
- A man was fatally shot Wednesday evening in the Southwest Side Little Village neighborhood. David Martinez, 21, was outside about 6:40 p.m. in the 2600 block of West Luther when someone opened fire from a vehicle, hitting him in the head, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Martinez, who lived on the same block, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died.
- A man was shot to death early Wednesday in the Marquette Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Michael Paul Anderson, 59, was shot in the head at 4:09 a.m. in the 6600 block of South Washtenaw, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead.
- Two 18-year-old men were shot, leaving one dead Tuesday afternoon in the South Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side, authorities said. About 2:15 p.m., the two men were walking north in the 2300 block of South Whipple when they heard gunfire. They were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where Aaron Perez was pronounced dead of a gunshot wound to the head at 2:56 p.m. The other man was shot in the shoulder and back; and his condition was stabilized.
- A Joliet woman died after suffering a stab wound Tuesday morning in the Morgan Park neighborhood on the Far South Side. Officers responded to the 1300 block of West 108th Place at 6:11 a.m. and found the 49-year-old woman with a puncture wound to the shoulder, according to police. Renee M. Davis was taken to Christ Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy found she died of a sharp force injury to the chest. Police said witnesses were not cooperating.
- A 63-year-old man died Monday night, nearly a month after he was stabbed during a robbery in the Canaryville neighborhood on the South Side. Joe Lacasto was stabbed during a robbery Oct. 16 in the 600 block of West 43rd, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He later walked into Stroger Hospital with multiple stab wounds. Lacasto died at Stroger at 5:35 p.m. Monday.
- A 22-year-old man was shot to death Monday afternoon in the West Side Humboldt Park neighborhood. Harry Cannon Jr. was parking his vehicle in the 900 block of North Kedvale at 1:43 p.m. when another vehicle pulled alongside and the passenger fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Cannon’s vehicle stopped moving after striking another parked vehicle. He was shot in the head and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about four hours later.
- A 41-year-old man was fatally shot while driving Monday morning in Roseland. Taurus A. Williams was shot in the head, side and hip about 8 a.m. in the 9700 block of South Lafayette, and drove to the 10000 block of South Wentworth, where he crashed into two other vehicles, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was taken to Christ Medical Center, where he died.
- A man was shot to death earlier Monday in the Southwest Side Brighton Park neighborhood. Officers responding at 3:40 a.m. to a call of a person shot found 26-year-old Victor Fernando Garcia lying on the sidewalk in the 2500 block of West 47th Street, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He had suffered gunshot wounds to the left shoulder and right leg, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.