Edward Prince | Homicide Watch Chicago

Friend: LaQuisha Hickman was 'a loving mother and loyal friend'

Emily Brosious — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 15:02:32 -0500

Laquisha Hickman / Photo from Facebook

BY EMILY BROSIOUS
Homicide Watch Chicago

LaQuisha Hickman was "a loving mother and loyal friend," a longtime friend said.

Hickman, 37, was fatally shot June 9 by longtime boyfriend Edward Prince during a domestic incident -- apparently stemming from a quarrel over her ending their relationship, officials said.

Hickman attended Dunbar Vocational High School, where she was a cheerleader and member of the marching band, said friend Shawn Parker. As an adult, Hickman worked as a pharmacist, but “her main interest was her kids,” Parker said.

“She was a good student.” Parker said, “She helped me with homework and never got in trouble.”

Parker said he dated Hickman briefly in high school and they remained friends. Parker said he was friendly with Hickman’s mother and sister, but had never met Prince.

“She was very close with her family," he said. “I just don’t believe this happened, it’s crazy.”

Authorities said that Hickman filed a domestic battery report against Prince the day before the shooting, but he had left the house in the 3500 block of West 79th Place before police arrived.

Prince, 36, allegedly returned to the house the next morning and went on a shooting rampage around 8:55 a.m., authorities said. Prince allegedly killed Hickman and 23-year-old Nykole Loving before turning the gun on himself, authorities said.

Parker said he’d recently seen Hickman, and was shocked to hear the news of her death.

“I’ll remember her as a loving mother and loyal friend,” Parker said. “She will always have a place in my heart.”

-- Contributing: Chicago Sun-Times

WEEK IN REVIEW: Eight killed throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 08:47:23 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Five men and three women were murdered throughout Chicago last week.

At least three of the deaths were classified as domestic related, police said.

The most recent killing happened when 56-year-old Louis Winn was stabbed during a domestic dispute at his home in the 10000 block of South Morgan Street about 9:10 p.m. Saturday, authorities said. He died less than an hour later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

On Saturday, 17-year-old Brandon Peterson was shot in the head and leg while standing with a group of people in the 3100 block of West Polk Street in the East Garfield Park neighborhood about 12:05 a.m., authorities said.

Peterson, of the 3000 block of West Polk Street, died at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County a short time later, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

On Friday, 27-year-old Dewey Knox was shot during during a drive-by in the 1300 block of South Central Park Avenue about 11:55 p.m., authorities said.

Knox, of the 1400 block of South Troy Street, was shot in the back and died at Mount Sinai Hospital early Saturday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Thursday, 22-year-old Damian Williams was shot in the 5700 bock of West Augusta Boulevard in the Austin community about 8:55 p.m., authorities said. A 23-year-old man was also critically wounded.

Williams, of the 5900 block of West Augusta Boulevard, was shot multiple times in the chest and died at Mount Sinai Hospital less than an hour later, authorities said.

On Tuesday, 26-year-old Brett Ewing was shot while driving in the 200 block of West 72nd Street in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood about 3 p.m., authorities said. A 4-year-old boy was also wounded.

Ewing, of the 6800 block of South Perry Avenue, was shot four times and died at Stroger Hospital at 6:37 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said.

On Monday, 21-year-old Paris Brown was shot while sitting in a vehicle in the 7300 block of South Perry Avenue in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood about 10:55 p.m., authorities said. A man was also wounded in the shooting.

Brown, who lived on the block, was shot multiple times died at Stroger Hospital less than an hour later, authorities said.

The killings started when LaQuisha Hickman, 37, and Nykole Loving, 23, were fatally shot during a domestic dispute in the 3500 block of West 79th Place in the Ashburn community about 8:55 a.m. Monday, authorities said. An 18-year-old man was also wounded.

Hickman had filed a domestic battery report with Chicago Police officers against her longtime boyfriend Edward Prince following a quarrel the night before -- apparently over her ending their relationship, officials say. Prince, 36, left the house before police arrived, but returned the next morning and went on a shooting spree, authorities say.

Prince then turned the gun on himself and was dead on the scene.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 172 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including seven people killed by police.

Additionally, the state’s attorney’s office filed first-degree murder charges against a speeding motorist who killed an off-duty police officer while trying to flee police even though the autopsy ruled the death an accident.

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

Officials: LaQuisha Hickman, Nykole Loving killed in domestic dispute in Ashburn community

Michael Lansu — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 10:19:28 -0500

BY FRANK MAIN AND BRIAN SLODYSKO
Chicago Sun-Times

A South Side woman filed a domestic battery report with Chicago Police officers against her longtime boyfriend following a quarrel Sunday night — apparently over her ending their relationship, officials say.

The boyfriend, Edward Prince, left the house in the 3500 block of West 79th Place before the police arrived. But he returned on Monday morning with a vengeance, authorities say.

Prince, whose family members say he suffered from mental illness in the past, went on a shooting rampage at about 8:55 a.m. The 36-year-old man killed his girlfriend, LaQuisha Hickman, 37, and another woman, Nykole Loving, 23, according to a Chicago Police Department official.

Loving was a houseguest, family members said.

Prince also shot Deon Tillman, 18, in the leg. Then Prince committed suicide, turning the gun on himself.

Edward Prince’s uncle, Elvin Prince, 58, suffered lacerations to the head, but wasn’t shot, police said.

The SWAT team entered the house after the shots were reported to police and discovered the carnage.

The shooting appears to have stemmed from a domestic quarrel, police said. Family members said Edward Prince believed Hickman was cheating on him.

There were no prior court orders of protection against Edward Prince, police said.

Relatives described a loving extended family anchored by Elvin Prince and his wife, Corliss, who both lived at the home. On weekends, relatives regularly stayed over and Elvin Prince barbecued.

But on Sunday night there was discord following the regular weekend gathering. Edward Prince got into a quarrel with Hickman, his family said. Edward Prince, who had three children with Hickman, apparently believed she was unfaithful to him, multiple family members said. He left home after the fight, but she stayed.

In the morning, he returned. He apparently pistol-whipped Elvin Prince and shot Tillman, another family member, in the leg, officials said. Both men escaped the home and were found outside by police.

Edward Prince then shot Hickman and Loving before killing himself, police said.

Edward Prince was a stay-at-home father who reared the couple’s three children, said Kinyana Prince, 33, who is in Chicago visiting from Springfield.

She said Edward Prince had a history of mental health issues, for which he took medication in the past. She said she didn’t know if he was on his medication before the shooting occurred.

Regardless of what motivated him to go on his rampage, she said Edward Prince was “caring, loved his kids and had a good heart.”

“That’s why I’m at such a loss to explain this,” Kinyana Prince said. “We’re all loving and caring.”

-- Contributing: Ashlee Rezin