Anthony Strong fatally shot near his home in Calumet Heights

Anthony Strong was killed in a Sunday afternoon shooting in the Calumet Heights neighborhood.

The 48-year-old Strong was shot in the right side of the chest about 4:55 p.m. in the 9200 block of South Harper, police said.

Strong, who lived on the same block where he was shot, was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 6:06 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Police said a “person of interest” is in custody.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

John and Willie Hunter, nephews of state senator, killed in Auburn Gresham shooting followed by crash

John and Willie Hunter, brothers from Missouri and nephews of a local legislator, were fatally shot Sunday morning while sitting in an SUV in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood on the South Side.

John Hunter, 25, and his 31-year-old brother Willie Hunter were nephews of state Sen. Mattie Hunter of Chicago. Originally from Chicago, they had recently moved to Missouri, but were back in town for the holiday weekend, a spokeswoman for Hunter told the Chicago Sun-Times.

“We are heartbroken and saddened by this tragic and senseless loss of life,” Hunter said in a statement. “My family is no different than any other family, and far too many of us have lost family members to the violence that continue to plague our communities.”
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Jeremy Spivey killed, woman and 17-year-old boy injured in shooting in Albany Park

By REEMA AMIN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Jeremy Spivey was killed in a shooting that left a woman and a teenager wounded in the Northwest Side Albany Park neighborhood early Sunday.

Spivey, 23, and the two others were sitting in a van in an alley near Sunnyside and Kimball about 2:30 a.m. when a male suspect walked up and fired shots, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Spivey, of the 4700 block of West Belmont, was shot multiple times and taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 4:03 a.m., authorities said.

A 17-year-old boy was shot in the right leg and taken to Masonic, where his condition was stabilized. A 26-year-old woman was shot in the right finger and was being treated at Swedish Covenant Hospital, police said.
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7-year-old Amari Brown fatally shot while celebrating 4th of July in Humboldt Park

By REEMA AMIN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Seven-year-old Amari Brown spent the daytime on the Fourth of July at his Humboldt Park home with his mom’s side of the family, including his maternal grandmother, 52-year-old Vida Hailey. That would be the last time she would see him alive.

Amari Brown

Amari Brown


Just after midnight, Hailey said the boy’s mother got a call from his dad, who was spending the evening with Amari: Their son had been shot in the chest and was at Stroger Hospital.

Hailey stood outside the hospital early Sunday as Amari’s mother sobbed into the arms of friends and family. Through her own tears, Hailey said she was praying for her grandson’s quick recovery as he underwent surgery for the wound.

Amari, who lived in the 500 block of North Drake, was later pronounced dead at Stroger at 1:56 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
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Vonzell Banks fatally shot in the back near park named after slain teen Hadiya Pendleton

By STEFANO ESPOSITO and ASHLEE REZIN
Chicago Sun-Times

17-year-old Vonzell Banks was gunned down Friday near a park named after slain King College Prep student Hadiya Pendleton—one of four killings in the city as the Fourth of July weekend got off to a violent start.

Banks, of the 4500 block of South Prairie, and a 19-year-old man were standing outside Hadiya Pendleton Park in the 4300 block of South King about 4:45 p.m., when a vehicle approached and someone inside opened fire, police said.

Banks, a Dunbar Vocational High School junior, was playing basketball with his older brother, Vinny, and some friends when he was shot, his aunt, LaShanda Childs, said.

“He was a loving child, getting ready to be a senior at high school,” Childs said. “He was going to start a summer job on Monday. He was very excited about it.”
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Joseph Gutierrez fatally shot while riding bicycle in Little Village

Joseph Gutierrez was riding his bicycle in the Little Village neighborhood Thursday evening when a gunman on foot fatally shot him.

About 6:25 p.m., the 20-year-old Gutierrez was riding his bike in the 2700 block of South Karlov when a gunman ran up and shot him repeatedly in the upper body, police said.

Gutierrez, of the 6200 block of South Kenneth, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:06 p.m., the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Police are investigating whether the shooting may have been gang-related.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Moses Van Pelt of Chicago Heights killed in shooting in Riverdale on Far South Side

Moses Van Pelt of south suburban Chicago Heights died Thursday night after being shot that same morning in the Riverdale neighborhood on the Far South Side.

The shooting happened in the 13200 block of South Greenwood at 11:10 a.m., police said.

The 22-year-old Van Pelt, of the 0-100 block of Olympic Village in Chicago Heights, was sitting in a parked vehicle when a gray SUV pulled up with several people inside and at least one opened fire, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Van Pelt was shot in his abdomen, buttocks and knee, and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died at 7:30 p.m., authorities said.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Grover Tate killed, woman injured in drive-by shooting in Washington Heights

Grover Tate was killed and a woman wounded in a shooting early Friday in the Washington Heights neighborhood on the South Side.

The two were walking in the alley in the 9100 block of South Ashland when someone in a passing white van opened fire on them, police said.

Tate, 47, was shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 1500 block of West 95th Street.

The 43-year-old woman was shot in the abdomen and buttocks, and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where her condition had stabilized, police said.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Jose Hernandez killed in second shooting within hours on same Back of the Yards block

By REEMA AMIN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Jose Hernandez was killed in the same block he lived just after midnight Friday in the South Side Back of the Yards neighborhood.

The 26-year-old Hernandez was sitting on a porch at 12:05 a.m. in the 4800 block of South Justine when another man walked up and shot him in the back, police and the medical examiner’s office said.

He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he later died, police said.

An officer at the scene said the shooting—the second on that block in about nine hours—may have stemmed from a conflict involving the La Raza street gang.
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Second man charged with fatal shooting of Michael Harrison captured after six months on the run

By RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

A West Side man was ordered held without bond Thursday for allegedly shooting Michael Harrison to death and injuring another man because he thought they’d gone into his pockets and stolen his drugs.

Maurice Vickers | Chicago Police

Maurice Vickers | Chicago Police


Maurice Vickers’ co-defendant, Dominque Brown, was arrested right after the two ran away from the scene of the crime on Jan. 9, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Jamie Santini said.

But Vickers, 36, of the 2900 block of West Wilcox Street, wasn’t nabbed for six months. Authorities tracked him in New York and Oklahoma before he was finally arrested Tuesday for the shooting that claimed the life of 33-year-old Michael Harrison, Santini said.

Vickers and Brown were at a barbershop at 16 S. Kostner when Vickers started to argue with the victims because he thought they’d taken his drugs, Santini said.

Vickers and Brown left the business but came back armed and with a third person, Santini said.
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