Homicide Watch Chicago

Salvador “Chava” Muniz died after he was shot multiple times while driving in the Brighton Park neighborhood early Sunday.

Muniz, 19, was driving a vehicle north in the 3900 block of South Campbell at 2:35 a.m. when someone inside another vehicle driving south began shooting at him, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

He was struck by multiple bullets before the vehicle with the shooter drove away west.

Muniz, of the 4300 block of West Washtenaw, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 3:12 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Sergio Zaragoza was shot to death Sunday afternoon in the Hermosa neighborhood in what police say may have been a domestic incident.

At 3:08 p.m., the 28-year-old Zaragoza got into an argument with a woman in the 1600 block of North Karlov and the argument turned physical, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

During the fight, another male walked up, pulled out a gun, and shot Zaragoza in the chest, authorities said.

Zaragoza, who lived a block north of the shooting in the 1700 block of North Karlow, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 3:47 p.m., authorities said. The woman was not taken to the hospital.

Police said the incident may have been domestic-related.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Nahmar T. Holmes was shot to death Saturday afternoon outside his home in the Brainerd neighborhood.

Holmes, 23, was standing outside his home in the 8900 block of South Justine about 5:20 p.m. when two people walked up and shot him multiple times in the torso, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Holmes was taken to South Shore Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:39 p.m., authorities said.

Gunfire also broke out Sunday night on the same block, where three people were shot, one fatally, during a memorial vigil for Homes.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Dominic Hallom was killed and another man wounded in a Chicago Lawn neighborhood shooting Saturday afternoon.

About 2 p.m., the pair were sitting inside a vehicle outside a gas station in the 3000 block of West 63rd Street when several gunmen walked up and opened fire, according to Chicago Police.

Hallom, 27, was shot in the head and torso, and was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:26 p.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 11300 block of South Forest.

The other man, 26, was shot in the leg, arm, torso and buttocks. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where his condition was stabilized, police said.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Gregory Sims Jr. was shot to death Tuesday afternoon while arguing with another man in the Uptown neighborhood.

Sims, 25, was arguing with a man in the 4500 block of North Kenmore about 2:45 p.m. That man then pulled out a gun and shot Sims five times in the chest and twice in the right leg, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The shooter then ran through a gangway and took off in a black vehicle, police said.

Sims, known to friends as “Fatty,” was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 4:35 p.m., according to the medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 7800 block of South May.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Joshua David Brooks | Chicago Police

Joshua David Brooks, 23, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter of a family member on May 17 after a bench trial before Judge Thomas Hennelly, according to Cook County court records.

Brooks was arguing with the 58-year-old McGee about 4 p.m. March 25, 2014, at their home in the 400 block of East 46th Street, authorities said at the time.

The argument became physical and Brooks pushed McGee to the ground and began hitting her in the face, authorities said.

McGee suffered a cardiac event during the incident and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she died less than an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
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A man found shot to death early Wednesday in the Albany Park neighborhood has been identified as 21-year-old Israel Aragon Jr.

Officers responding about 4:50 a.m. to a call of a person down in the 4400 block of North Albany found him lying on the sidewalk, according to Chicago Police.

Aragon had suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:16 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived about one block north in the 4500 block of North Albany.

His death was ruled a homicide.

Aragon was a 2013 graduate of St. Benedict High School, and later attended Wilbur Wright College. A wake will be held from 4-9 p.m. Monday at the Christian Funeral Home at 3100 W. Irving Park Rd. The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Benedict Catholic Church at 2215 W. Irving Park Rd.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Seventeen-year-old Marqui Williams was shot to death late Tuesday in the Lawndale neighborhood.

A 17-year-old boy was shot to death Tuesday night in the Southwest Side Lawndale neighborhood. | Network Video Productions

He was shot in the chest, right arm and face; and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:22 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Williams lived in the 4900 block of West Gladys.

An autopsy showed he died of multiple gunshot wounds.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Dequan Trimble and Charles Smith, both 22, were killed, and three other people were wounded in a shooting Monday night in the Lawndale neighborhood.

Chicago Police investigate in the 2700 block of West Lexington, where two men were killed and three other people were wounded in a shooting Monday night. | NVP News

Smith was shot in the chest and and thigh, and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 2700 block of Harvey Avenue in Berwyn.

Trimble was shot in the torso, and was also taken to Stroger, where he was pronounced dead at 11:19 p.m., according to the medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 2700 block of West Polk.

Three other people were also shot and taken to Mount Sinai, police said. A 16-year-old boy was shot in the chest, and was listed in critical condition; a 17-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wound to the chest, and was in serious condition; and a 20-year-old man was shot in the right arm and buttocks, and was also listed in serious condition.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Ted Merchant | Chicago Police

The retired Rev. Smith and Ted Merchant were both residents of the Senior Suites of Rainbow Beach at 2804 E. 77th Pl., prosecutors said in court Wednesday. Just after 1 a.m. Monday, they went out onto the facility’s back patio area, Smith walking and Merchant riding a motorized scooter.

Smith left the patio briefly to look at a vehicle while Merchant stayed on the patio, prosecutors said. When Smith returned, approached Merchant and stood in front of him, Merchant pulled out a firearm and shot Smith several times.

Merchant initially went back into the facility, before walking back outside, getting into a 2002 black Lincoln Town Car and driving away, prosecutors said.

Smith’s body was not found until 6 a.m., prosecutors said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and his death was ruled a homicide.
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