By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire
At least eight people were killed in Chicago violence last week, including a woman shot while sitting in a cab on the South Side, and cab driver killed during an armed robbery on the North Side.
A man and woman killed in separate shootings over the weekend pushed the year’s homicide tally past 100—a mark reached almost two months earlier than in 2015, according to Chicago Sun-Times Wire data. And the 102 killing is almost double the number from a year ago, when January and February combing for 52 homicides.
The city has now recorded at least 102 homicides for the year. Chicago did not record its 100th homicide last year until April 16. The last time there were 100 homicides in the first two months of a year was 1997, when there were 101.
Eric D. Henry Jr. was killed and a woman seriously injured in a shooting Saturday afternoon in Auburn Gresham.
The 26-year-old and a 24-year-old woman were sitting in a vehicle in the 900 block of West 85th Street at 3:47 p.m. when someone walked up to the vehicle and fired shots, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
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Jesus Reyes-Ortiz, a homeless man found dead beneath a viaduct in Pilsen last week, was beaten and stabbed to death, an autopsy has shown.
The 50-year-old Reyes-Ortiz was found unresponsive under a viaduct in the 1500 block of South Wolcott about 1:30 p.m. Feb. 22, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office and Chicago Police.
Reyes-Ortiz, who is believed to be homeless, was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:35 p.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.
An autopsy found he died of multiple blunt- and sharp-force injuries, and his death was ruled a homicide.
Area Central detectives are investigating.
—Chicago Sun-Times Wire
Eric D. Henry Jr. was killed and a woman was seriously injured in a shooting Saturday afternoon in Auburn Gresham on the South Side.
The 26-year-old south suburban man and a 24-year-old woman were sitting in a vehicle in the 900 block of West 85th Street at 3:47 p.m. That’s when someone walked up to the vehicle and fired shots, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Henry, who lived in the 300 block of Luella Avenue in Calumet City, was shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene less than an hour later, authorities said.
The woman suffered gunshot wounds to the jaw and leg, and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in serious condition, police said.
—Chicago Sun-Times Wire
By RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times
Kevin Mason | Chicago Police
had called police to complain about his next-door neighbor’s party, and the revelers drinking and getting high in the hallway.
Officers came to the University Village apartment that night on Jan. 26 but didn’t see anybody, according to a Chicago Police report.
They told the 62-year-old Howard to call them back if the raucous party-goers came back and went back to their squad car to look for them.
Five minutes later the officers were alerted about shots being fired at the building in the 1000 block of West Maxwell.
When they went back, they found Howard, a veteran of the armed forces, dead, face-down on the ground.
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Shari Graham was fatally shot late Friday in the Armor Square neighborhood on the South Side, but police do not believe she was the intended target.
The 30-year-old Graham was sitting in a cab in the 3800 block of South Princeton Avenue around 9:45 p.m. when shots were fired from an unknown location, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
The cab driver drove away from the scene to the 4700 block of South State Street, then called paramedics.
Graham, of the 7700 block of South Paulina, was shot in the back and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where she died at 10:31 p.m., authorities said.
—Chicago Sun-Times Wire
A man killed in a drive-by shooting Tuesday afternoon in the South Austin neighborhood on the West Side has been identified as 23-year-old west suburban resident Diamond Garner.
Garner was outside in the 400 block of South Kilpatrick about 4 p.m. Tuesday when a vehicle drove by and someone inside fired shots at him, Chicago Police said.
He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:38 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy showed he died of a gunshot wound to the head.
Garner lived in the 1200 block of South 17th Avenue in Maywood, according to the medical examiner’s office.
—Chicago Sun-Times Wire
By STEFANO ESPOSITO and JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times
Lamon Weathers | Chicago Police
A North Side West Ridge neighborhood man was charged Friday with the fatal shooting of a veteran taxi driver Kamil Shamji earlier this week in the Lincoln Square neighborhood.
Lamon Weathers, 19, of the 2000 block of West Arthur, was charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of Shamji.
The 58-year-old Skokie resident was found with a gunshot wound to the head just before 8 a.m. Monday inside his cab in the 4400 block of North Leavitt, just behind the Sulzer Regional Library, authorities said.
He picked up Weathers earlier that morning at a North Side McDonald’s and was taking him to Lincoln Square, police said at a press conference announcing the arrest Friday.
Weathers was caught on video from a camera in the cab and from one at the McDonald’s, police said.
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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.
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By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire
Armani Bearden | Chicago Police
Bond was set at $1 million Thursday for the fourth person charged in connection with the December beating death of
Cary “Mike” Silverstein, whose body was later thrown into a West Ridge dumpster and never recovered.
Armani Bearden, 18, was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder for the death of 64-year-old Cary “Mike” Silverstein, according to Chicago Police.
Shawndre Lehmann, 17; and Alexander Robinson, 28, were previously charged with first-degree murder, authorities said. Shatara Lehmann, 25, was charged with concealment of a homicidal death.
Silverstein hosted a birthday party at his apartment in the 6500 block of North Hoyne about 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10, 2015, according to prosecutors. The victim got into an argument with Robinson after saying derogatory things to his girlfriend, Shatara Lehmann, prosecutors said.
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A man killed in a drive-by shooting Monday morning in the South Side Englewood neighborhood has been identified as 28-year-old Nicholas Sion Robinson.
Robinson was an Englewood High graduate who studied criminal law at Kennedy-King College, according to his Facebook profile. He also volunteered at Urban Youth Outreach.
He was in the 6400 block of South Eggleston at 9:46 a.m. when shots were fired from a passing vehicle, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Robinson was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:58 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 6400 block of South Parnell.
An autopsy found he died of multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide.
—Chicago Sun-Times Wire
By JEFF MAYES
