Homicide Watch Chicago

Brent Johnson was shot and killed Wednesday night in the Marquette Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side.

Johnson, 27, was standing in an alley in the 3000 block of West Marquette about 8:45 p.m., according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

That’s when someone in a black car opened fire, hitting him in the head and groin, authorities said.

Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:59 p.m., authorities said. He lived in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood.

No one was in custody for the shooting.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

A man shot to death on Valentine’s Day in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side has been identified as 62-year-old Eddie Wade of the Southwest Side.

Wade was sitting in a parked vehicle about 2:40 p.m. Tuesday in the 3400 block of West Walnut, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

A dark-colored Jeep pulled alongside and someone inside opened fire, according to police.

Wade suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:55 p.m., authorities said.

An autopsy showed Wade, who lived in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood, died of multiple gunshot wounds.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

The December death of Melvin Sims, a West Side man who was wounded in a shooting 14 years ago, has been ruled a homicide.

Sims, 55, died at 2:20 a.m. Dec. 27, 2016 at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

A resident of the West Side Austin neighborhood, Sims was shot 18 years ago, according to the medical examiner’s office. Chicago Police did not have information on the exact date and address of the shooting, but a family member said it happened 14 years ago in front of a home near Chicago Avenue and Springfield Avenue.

An autopsy found he died of complications from that past gunshot wound, and his death was ruled a homicide.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

By ANDY GRIMM, SAM CHARLES and MATTHEW HENDRICKSON
Chicago Sun-Times

Rochetta Taylor, left, and Justin Bowess, right, father of 12-year-old Kanari Gentry-Bowers speaks outside Stroger Hospital where the girl passed away Wednesday. | Maria Cardona/ Sun-Times

The girl’s father and aunt, along with crisis responder Dawn Valenti, spoke to reporters outside the hospital a few hours after Kanari was pronounced dead.

Her father, Justin Bowers, somberly pleaded for anyone with information on the shooting to come forward.

“I just want justice for my daughter. That’s all I’m asking,” Bowers said. “Stop holding this punk. Turn him in, please. Just turn him in. That’s all I’m asking.”

“Kanari Gentry Bowers passed away this afternoon,” the family said in a statement released by Stroger Hospital. “We are appreciative of all of the thoughts and prayers we have received in the past several days. Please keep your children close and do whatever it takes to protect them from the senseless gun violence in our city.”
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By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

It was another violent week in Chicago, with at least 10 people killed last week, including three in the West Austin neighborhood alone.

The death toll included a 2-month-old girl whose death in the Humboldt Park neighborhood was ruled a homicide by child abuse; and a popular local rapper killed after getting into a fight on a CTA Green Line train near downtown.

Family members took the baby, Aliya Acosta, to a hospital on Jan. 17 after she became unresponsive in her home, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. She was later transferred to Lurie Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 2:04 a.m. Thursday.

An autopsy Friday found she died from multiple injuries caused by child abuse, and the death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office.

An Illinois Department of Children and Family Services spokeswoman said the agency is investigating allegations of abuse against the girl’s mother, father and other caregivers; while Area North detectives are conducting a death investigation.

The rapper was stabbed to death Wednesday afternoon near Metra tracks in the Fulton River District. Walter Long Jr., 24, got into a fight with someone who pulled out a sharp object about 3:20 p.m. in the 400 block of North Clinton, police and the medical examiner’s office said.
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By SAM CHARLES, ANDY GRIMM and JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times

Police stand near a car in an alley between Kostner and Kenneth avenues while investigating a fatal shooting in North Lawndale. | Andy Grimm/Sun-Times

The woman was streaming video at the time of the shooting, which occurred in an alley in the 2300 block of South Kenneth Avenue.

The three were in a car in the alley about 1:30 p.m. when another vehicle drove past and someone got out, pulled a weapon and fired shots, according to Chicago Police.

The toddler and Collins were both shot in the head. They were taken to Stroger Hospital, where the toddler died about 2:43 p.m., authorities said. Collins lived in the Little Village neighborhood.
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Malike Ellis was fatally shot Tuesday morning in a vehicle in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side.

The 18-year-old was riding in a vehicle around 9:30 a.m. in the 4100 block of West 18th Street when another vehicle pulled up and someone inside fired shots, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Ellis, who lived in the same neighborhood, was shot in the chest. The driver took him to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 9:53 a.m., authorities said.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

By STEFANO ESPOSITO and ANDY GRIMM
Chicago Sun-Times

Takiya Holmes | family photo

Antwan C. Jones is facing first-degree murder charges in Takiya’s shooting, Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said

“I hope it’s the correct person and I’m hoping justice is served,” Patsy Holmes, Takiya’s grandmother, said Wednesday morning. “If it’s the right person, I want him to be punished to the fullest.”

Takiya died Tuesday morning at Comer Children’s Hospital. She was sitting next to her 3-year-old brother in the back seat of a van — her mother and aunt were in the front seats — when gunfire erupted about 7:40 p.m. Saturday in the 6500 block of South King Drive.

Takiya was “beautiful, loving and smart” and “everybody loved her,” Patsy Holmes said.
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A man was killed in a South Shore neighborhood shooting that left a second man injured Sunday afternoon has been identified as 45-year-old Steven C. Jackson.

Jackson was standing in the 2400 block of East 75th Street at 1:44 p.m. when someone walked up and fired shots, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

He was struck in the face and neck, and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:31 p.m., authorities said. He lived in the South Shore neighborhood.

A second man, 54, was found with a gunshot wound to the right thigh and was also taken to Northwestern, where his condition stabilized.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

A South Side man was shot to death inside a store in the South Shore neighborhood Tuesday morning.

Just before noon, someone walked up to James Johnson when he went into the store in the 2000 block of East 71st Street, and shot him in the chest, according to Chicago Police.

Johnson, 23, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he died at 12:38 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

No one was in custody for the killing as of Wednesday morning.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire