Homicide Watch Chicago

A man found shot to death in a home in the West Side Austin neighborhood last week has been identified as Ramon X. Williams of downstate Kankakee.

The 37-year-old Williams was found with a gunshot wound to the chest about 1:17 p.m. Wednesday in the 900 block of North LeClaire at 1:17 p.m., according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The Kankakee resident was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. An autopsy found he died of multiple gunshot wounds, and his death was ruled a homicide.

Area North detectives are investigating.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Alejandro Arellano and Angel Rosario were fatally shot in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side early Sunday.

The men, both 29, were walking about 1:55 a.m. in the 2400 block of West 47th Place, according to Chicago Police.

An eastbound gray Toyota Corolla slowed down, pulled over and a male shooter got out and opened fire on the men, police said. The shooter then got back inside the vehicle, which drove off heading east toward Western, police said.

One man was shot in the chest and the other was shot in the head and neck, police said. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Rosario and Arellano both lived several blocks away in the same neighborhood.

No one was in custody as of Monday morning as Area Central detectives conduct an investigation.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

At least thirteen people died from violence in Chicago during the week of October 30 through November 5, six over the weekend alone, including a man shot inside a Starbucks in the Uptown neighborhood.

Police investigate a shooting that killed a man and wounded two other people, including a 12-year-old boy, Thursday night at a Starbucks in the Uptown neighborhood. | Nader Issa/Sun-Times

In a Starbucks in the Uptown neighborhood, a man was killed and two other people were wounded, including a 12-year-old boy, in a shooting Thursday night. The incident began with a drug deal nearby, according to Town Hall District Cmdr. Marc Buslik. Just after 8 p.m., a person in a ski mask chased 28-year-old Sauvignon Watkins into the Starbucks at 4753 N. Broadway and shot him, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Watkins, who lived in the Avalon Park neighborhood, was pronounced dead at the scene. The 12-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wound to the groin and was being treated at Lurie Children’s Hospital, where he was in good condition, police said. A 24-year-old man was shot in the abdomen and was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in serious condition. No one was in custody as Area North detectives investigated.

Other homicides last week included:

• A 38-year-old man was killed in a shooting Sunday evening in the South Chicago neighborhood. Paris Thompson was sitting outside about 7:20 p.m. in the 7900 block of South East End Avenue when another male walked up and fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Thompson, who lived a few blocks away, suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, back and neck, authorities said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced about 45 minutes later.Read more

A man found shot to death early Wednesday in the South Chicago neighborhood has been identified as a 30-year-old Michael R. Evans.

About 2:30 a.m., officers found Evans lying on the ground in the 8100 block of South Colfax, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Evans had been shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. He lived in the South Shore neighborhood.

Area South detectives are conducting a homicide investigation.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Paris Thompson was fatally shot in the South Chicago neighborhood Sunday evening.

Paris Thompson | Facebook

Thompson, 38, was the father of a 3-year-old girl, a union welder who often traveled for his job, and “a grill master,” according to family friend, Lakesha Hill, said.

He was sitting outside about 7:20 p.m. in the 7900 block of South East End Avenue when another man walked up and fired shots, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Thompson, who lived a few blocks away, suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, back and neck, authorities said.

He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 8:04 p.m., authorities said.

“Paris was a real family man,” Hill said. “He was big on that. He loved everyone the same. You couldn’t help but love him.”Read more

Armondo Reyes was standing near his car when he was fatally shot in an alley in the Southwest Side Brighton Park neighborhood Tuesday afternoon.

Just after 4:30 p.m., someone walked up to the 28-year-old Reyes as he stood next to his car in the 3800 block of South Sacramento, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The suspect opened fire, striking Reyes, then drove off in a light-colored SUV, authorities said.

Reyes, who lived on the same block, was shot in the back, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 5:05 p.m., authorities said.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Ronald Terrel James was fatally shot in the head Sunday afternoon in the West Town neighborhood on the Near West Side.

The 36-year-old was sitting in a vehicle at 4:26 p.m. in the 100 block of North Hermitage when someone walked up and shot him in the head,

according to Chicago Police.

James, a Humboldt Park neighborhood resident, was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital at 4:47 p.m., according to the COok County medical examiner’s office.

Area Central detectives are conducting a homicide investigation.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Alonte Barber was found shot to death in an alley in the Washington Heights neighborhood on the Far South Side early Sunday.

Alonte Barber | Facebook

Officers responding to a call of shots fired in the 10500 block of South Green found the 26-year-old Barber in an alley with multiple gunshot wounds.

Barber was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

He lived in the South Side Auburn Gresham neighborhood.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Adam and Gina Furtick. Adam was fatally shot in October returning home from a concert in Logan Square. | Family photo.

By DAVID STRUETT
Homicide Watch Chicago

Adam and Gina Furtick knew each other for more than a decade before they started dating.

“I always had a crush on him. And when we started dating, he told me the same thing,” Gina said. Soon after that, they had a son, Blake. They were married in March 2016.

A year and a half later, tragedy struck.

Adam Wiggins Furtick was driving home from a UFO concert in the Logan Square neighborhood on Oct. 8 when he lost his way in the Southwest Side Scottsdale neighborhood.

The night of the incident, Gina was waiting for Adam to come home.

Adam, Gina and Blake Furtick | Facebook

“He knew I couldn’t fall asleep without him, so I always waited up for him,” she said.

She called him at 1:03 a.m. and Adam said he was lost. He said he would figure it out and then come home.

“And I said, OK. And then I didn’t hear from him,” she said. “And I just kept calling him and calling him and calling him, until finally an officer answered the phone.”

Investigators said a car pulled alongside the 34-year-old Furtick’s car and someone inside fired shots.Read more

By NADER ISSA, MATTHEW HENDRICKSON, SAM CHARLES and JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times

Police investigate a shooting that killed a man and wounded two other people, including a 12-year-old boy, Thursday night at a Starbucks in the Uptown neighborhood. | Nader Issa/Sun-Times

Watkins, a 28-year-old father of two from the Avalon Park neighborhood, was fatally shot Thursday evening in the Starbucks at 4753 N. Broadway, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The incident started with a drug deal near Broadway and Wilson, according to Town Hall District Cmdr. Marc Buslik. Police said Watkins and a 24-year-old man who was also wounded were involved in the transaction.

The 12-year-old and 24-year-old were inside the Starbucks when the shooting began, Buslik said. Police said the boy was “not connected to the incident.”

Just after 8 p.m., a person wearing a ski mask chased Watkins into the coffee shop and opened fired, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Read more