South suburban man charged with February fatal shooting of Matthew Williams in Greater Grand Crossing

Jeff Mayes — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 13:01:17 -0500

James Crum | Chicago Police

A south suburban man has been charged with fatally shooting a Matthew M. Williams, a 21-year-old activist, in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood earlier this year.

James Crum, 29, faces first-degree murder charges for the Feb. 5 slaying of Williams, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Crum shot the younger man in the back while he was playing video games inside a basement apartment about 11:30 p.m. in the 7100 block of South Calumet, police allege.

Matthew M. Williams | Facebook

Williams, of the 1000 block of East 46th Street, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:08 a.m. Feb. 6, authorities said.

Crum, of the 200 block of Calhoun Avenue in Calumet City, was ordered held on a $2 million bond Saturday, according to Cook County Circuit Court records. He is due back in court Monday.

Williams, a Columbia College student, was an anti-violence activist who had joined several protests calling for change in the Chicago Police Department and Chicago Public Schools.

--Chicago Sun-Times Wire

James Crum | Homicide Watch Chicago

South suburban man charged with February fatal shooting of Matthew Williams in Greater Grand Crossing