Cliffon Johnson | Homicide Watch Chicago

UPDATE: Cliffon Johnson held without bond in Back of the Yards shooting death of Charles Wright

Michael Lansu — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 15:00:38 -0500

Cliffon Johnson / Photo from Chicago Police

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

A parolee was held without bond Monday after prosecutors claim he fatally shot a 39-year-old man on a Back of the Yards porch Friday night.

Witnesses told police they saw Cliffon Johnson, 28, walked towards a house in the 5400 block of South Hoyne Avenue where 39-year-old Charles Wright was on the porch, said Assistant State's Attorney Robert Mack.

The witness reported hearing three gunshots and seeing Johnson run away about 11:40 p.m. Friday, Mack said.

Wright, of the 3100 block of West 71st Street, was shot three times in the abdomen and thigh and died about an hour later at Mount Sinai Hospital, authorities said.

Police officers on the block heard gunshots and saw Johnson run away and drop a gun, his cell phone and a Ventra card, Mack said.

The officers gave chance and took Johnson into custody, Mack said. Witnesses positively identified him as the suspected shooter.

Police recovered a .357 handgun with three live rounds and three expended casings, Mack said. State Police determined the gun was used in the killing.

Johnson, of the 5500 block of South Washtenaw Avenue, was charged with first-degree murder.

Johnson was paroled from the Illinois Department of Corrections on Sept. 23, prosecutors said. He was convicted in 2004 on two counts of manufacturing and delivering drugs and was charged with possession of a controlled substance and driving on a suspended license in 2014.

A public defender said Johnson is a Dunbar graduate and has been working for the U.S. Post Office since he was released on parole. He is a life-long Chicagoan who lives with his mother and has three children.

On Monday, Judge Peggy Chiampas ordered Johnson held without bond and issued a next court date of Nov. 14.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Eight killed in citywide violence

Michael Lansu — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 09:02:44 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

At least eight people were killed by violence throughout Chicago last week.

Four of the victims were shot dead over the weekend, when at least 29 other people were wounded by gunfire.

The most recent murder happened when police found a 36-year-old man shot in the street in the 2100 block of West 18th Place in Pilsen about 9:30 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

The man, whose identity was not yet being released, had been shot in the back of the head and died about two hours later at Mount Sinai Hospital, authorities said.

In the South Chicago neighborhood, 17-year-old Marc Williams was shot while walking in the 8200 block of South Houston Avenue about noon Sunday, authorities said.

Williams, of the 8100 block of South Coles Avenue, died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital less than an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Friday, 39-year-old Charles Wright was shot in the abdomen in the 5300 block of South Hoyne Avenue in the Back of the Yards community about 11:30 p.m., authorities said.

Wright, of the 3100 block of West 71st Street, died about an hour later at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Cliffon Johnson, 28, of the 5500 block of South Washtenaw Avenue, was charged with murder in Wright's death and is expected in court later Monday.

In the Austin community, 23-year-old Denzell Franklin was shot in a yard in the 5500 block of West Corcoran Place when multiple people opened fire from a sidewalk about 10 p.m., authorities said.

Franklin, 23, of an unidentified home address, was shot in the face and armpit and died at the scene, authorities said. Another man, 24, walked to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park with a gunshot wound to the arm, police said.

Joshua Grayer, 19, of the 1200 block of South St. Louis Avenue, and Jermaine Powell, 19, of the 5900 block of West Huron Street, were each charged with first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, police said. Both men are expected to appear in court Monday for a bond hearing.

On Thursday, 42-year-old Tepete Davis and an acquaintance were shot during a robbery in the 7900 block of South Justine Street about 11:55 p.m., authorities said.

Davis, of an unidentified home address, died at 1:08 a.m. Friday at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the medical examiner's office.

After the shooting, nearby police chased the two robbery suspects and shot one when he allegedly turned and pointed a dark object at officers, police said. Thomas Bishop, 41, of the 8200 block of South Wolcott Avenue, was charged with first-degree murder and ordered held without bond during a Sunday hearing. It was not immediately known if he was the suspect shot by police.

In the West Englewood neighborhood, 18-year-old Stanley Bobo was standing by his car in the 1400 block of West 72nd Street when a van drove past and somebody inside opened fire about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, authorities said.

Bobo, who lived on the block, was shot in the abdomen area and died about two hours later at Christ Medical Center, authorities said.

Kwonte Hughes, 17, of the 6800 block of South Carpenter Street, was charged with murder and ordered held on $1 million bond Saturday.

In the Grand Boulevard community, 44-year-old Reginald Boston was stabbed in the chest at a home in the 300 block of East 48th Street about 6 p.m. Thursday, authorities said.

Boston, of the 3500 block of West 74th Street, died about an hour later at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, authorities said.

An autopsy confirmed Boston died from multiple stab wounds and the death was ruled a homicide, but police said "all parties involved" remained on scene and no charges were pending.

On Wednesday, police found the bodies of Matthew Stanton, 28, and Peter Robert Costello, 17, inside the bedroom of a home in the 4100 block of West 63rd Street in Chicago Lawn about 4:15 p.m., authorities said.

Police called the deaths a murder-suicide and an autopsy confirmed died from a stab wound to his chest and the death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office. Costello, 17, died from a gunshot wound to the head and his death was ruled a suicide.

Both men lived on the block, according to the medical examiner’s office. The relationship between the two was not immediately known.

Additionally, 21-year-old Kevin Roberson died Tuesday morning from injuries suffered when he was shot in the neck in the 7200 block of South Artesian Avenue about 4:15 p.m. May 17, authorities said. An autopsy ruled the death a homicide.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 358 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including 14 people killed by police.

Chicago Police, which counts murders different by following federal guidelines, have ruled some of those homicides as involuntary manslaughter, justified self-defense or accidents.

Cliffon Johnson charged with murder in Back of the Yards shooting death of Charles Wright

Michael Lansu — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 22:20:38 -0500

Cliffon Johnson / Photo from Chicago Police

Cliffon Johnson has been charged with murder in the Back of the Yards shooting death of 39-year-old Charles Wright Friday night.

Wright was shot in the abdomen in the 5300 block of South Hoyne Avenue about 11:30 p.m. Friday, authorities said.

Wright, of the 3100 block of West 71st Street, died about an hour later at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

On Sunday, police announced that Johnson, 28, of the 5500 block of South Washtenaw Avenue, has been charged with murder in the shooting death.

Johnson is expected to appear in court for a bond hearing Monday.

-- Homicide Watch Chicago and Sun-Times Media Wire