Homicide Watch Chicago

Jose Rico was found shot dead early Sunday in the North Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side.

Officers responded at 12:18 a.m. to a call of shots fired and found the 22-year-old lying face down on the sidewalk in the 5000 block of North Bernard, just a block away from Von Steuben High School, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Rico, of the Northwest Side Albany Park neighborhood, had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the body, and was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:43 a.m., authorities said.

No one was in custody as Area North detectives investigate.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

By LUKE WILUSZ
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Baby Jenae Lemon, delivered after her mother, Charnella Lemon, was fatally shot along with Terrence Carter on Friday morning in the Far South Side Fernwood neighborhood died Monday, and her death was ruled a homicide.

Carter, 33, and Lemon, 20, were sitting in a parked vehicle at 7:39 a.m. Friday in a vacant lot in the 400 block of West 102nd Place, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Someone on foot approached the vehicle and opened fire, police said.

Lemon, a Dolton resident, suffered three gunshot wounds to the chest and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where she was pronounced dead at 8:51 a.m., authorities said.

Lemon was pregnant at the time of the shooting, and she lived long enough to deliver the baby, authorities said. Her daughter was born Friday morning and was initially listed in very critical condition at Christ Medical Center.

But Jenae died at 2:28 p.m. Monday at Christ Medical Center, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. She was four days old.

An autopsy Wednesday found she died of a gunshot wound to the torso, and a maternal gunshot wound to the abdomen. Her death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Carter, a Sauk Village resident, was shot in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:03 a.m., authorities said.

A police spokesman said the shooting may have been domestic-related, but provided no further details, and no one was in custody as of Tuesday morning.

Area South detectives are investigating.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

By ANDY GRIMM
Chicago Sun-Times

Cook County prosecutors have filed murder charges against two men in connection with the 2016 killing of Eric Banks near his home in the Washington Park neighborhood.

Deshawn Garrett and Deonte Bowdry pulled up next to Banks and a second person on the street about 2 p.m. on Sept. 21, 2016, near Banks’ home on 57th and State, Assistant State’s Attorney Jamie Santini said at a bond hearing for Bowdrey.

Bowdry, 28, was behind the wheel of a tan Buick, when Garrett, 21, got out of the back seat and walked toward Banks, firing a handgun, Santini said.

Banks, 25, attempted to run from the “hail of gunfire,” but was struck by a bullet and fell to the ground. Garrett then walked toward Banks, stood over him and continued firing, Santini said.
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Michael Hillard was shot to death Friday night while standing on a sidewalk in the West Garfield Park neighborhood.

The 49-year-old Hillard, known as “Mike G,” was standing outside about 9 p.m. in the 4700 block of West Jackson, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Someone walked up and shot him in his face, authorities said, and Hillard died at the scene. He lived in Humboldt Park.

Area North detectives were investigating Hillard’s slaying.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Melvin Howard Jr. died two days after being shot Wednesday in the Far South Side Fernwood neighborhood where he lived.

Howard was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn after reports that he was shot in the head at 9:19 p.m. Wednesday in the 10200 block of South State, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived less than a mile away.

Howard died at 1:25 a.m. Friday at Christ, according to the medical examiner’s office.

An autopsy Saturday found he died of complications from the gunshot wound to the head, and his death was ruled a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said.

Police could not provide additional information about the shooting, which is under investigation by Area South detectives.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

By MATTHEW HENDRICKSON
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Bond was denied for a 62-year-old man charged with fatally shooting Gregory Petty early Friday in the Lawndale neighborhood on the Southwest Side.

Kenneth Cooper faces a felony count of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of the 34-year-old Petty, Chicago Police said.

Petty, a Humboldt Park resident, was found shot multiple times on the porch of a home at 2:42 a.m. Friday in the 2200 block of South Kildare, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died less than an hour later.

A witness to the shooting told police that Petty was shot by another man, who barricaded himself inside a home, police said. Following a standoff, Cooper turned himself in to police.

Cooper, who lives on the block where the shooting occurred, also faces a felony count of unlawful use of a weapon/felon in possession of a weapon for the second time, police said.

He was ordered held without bond during a court hearing Sunday, according to Cook County sheriff’s office records. He was scheduled to appear in court again on Monday.

Juan Vargas was killed in a shooting Friday evening in the Little Village neighborhood on the Southwest Side.

About 7:10 p.m., the 27-year-ld Vargas was in the 4000 block of West 25th Place, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Someone came up to him and began shooting, police said.

Vargas suffered a gunshot wound to his head and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 7:53 p.m., authorities said. He lived in the West Elsdon neighborhood.

Area Central detectives were investigating.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

David Lucious was killed and and another man was critically wounded in a shooting Friday in the West Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side.

Two men were arguing with three other people at 9:47 a.m. in the 4500 block of West Jackson, according to Chicago Police.

Members of the larger group took out guns and started shooting.

Lucious, 35, was shot in the chest and was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital at 10:21 a.m., police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. He lived in the same block as the shooting.

A 28-year-old man was also shot in the chest and was taken to Stroger, where he was listed in critical condition, police said.

Area North detectives had a suspect in custody in connection with the shooting Friday, but that person has since been released without charges, police said Monday.

The investigation is ongoing.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Fred Anderson was killed and another man, possibly his father, was wounded in a shooting Thursday afternoon in the South Side Chatham neighborhood.

Anderson, 22, got into an argument with two people about noon in the 8100 block of South Ellis, Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

One of the others pulled out a gun and fired shots, striking Anderson and a 41-year-old man, police said.

Anderson was shot in the abdomen and was pronounced dead at the scene, police and the medical examiner’s office said. An autopsy Friday found he died of multiple gunshot wounds, and his death was ruled a homicide.

The older man was shot in the shoulder, police said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, but his condition was not immediately known.

Unconfirmed scanner reports said the victims were father and son.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Marques “Prince” Lewis was killed and another man was seriously wounded in a shooting Wednesday night in the South Deering neighborhood on the Far South Side.

An 18-year-old man was sitting in a vehicle with a passenger at 8:09 p.m. in the 2300 block of East 102nd Street, while the 20-year-old Lewis was walking up to the vehicle, possibly to get inside, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

A silver car drove by eastbound on 102nd Street and someone inside opened fire, striking both Lewis and the 18-year-old in the abdomen, authorities said.

Lewis, who lived in the neighborhood, was found in a gangway between buildings and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 8:42 p.m., authorities said.

The passenger drove the 18-year-old to Trinity Hospital, where he was listed in serious condition, police said.

No one was in custody Thursday morning as Area South detectives investigated.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire