Man charged with October fatal shootings of Chiquita Ford and Brian Fields outside Back of the Yards gas station

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 09:26:00 -0600

By ASHLEE REZIN and STEFANO ESPOSITO
Chicago Sun-Times

Lorenzo Parish | Chicago Police

A man has charged with fatally shooting Chiquita Ford and Brian Fields last year in a Back of the Yards neighborhood gas station parking lot on the South Side is being held without bond.

Lorenzo Parish faces two counts of first-degree murder for the Oct. 28 shooting, according to Chicago Police.

Parish, 19, was not only caught on video surveillance, but two witnesses he knew identified him as the shooter, Cook County prosecutors alleged during Parish’s bond hearing Thursday.

The victims, both 30, were sitting in a parked vehicle about 10:20 p.m. at the station in the 1900 block of West Garfield when a gunman walked up and fired shots, striking Ford, a mother of two, in the side, and Fields in the chest, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Both were pronounced dead at the scene at 11:02 p.m., authorities said. Ford lived in west suburban Westchester; Field was from the 7200 block of South Wolcott.

Chiquita Ford | Facebook

A second passenger sitting in the parked car suffered a graze wound, prosecutors said.

Parish was identified as the shooter and arrested about 2 p.m. Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas, police said. He had been apprehended by local law enforcement and was being held on a warrant in connection with the murders.

Prosecutors said Parish, who lived in the 11500 block of South LaSalle, was a documented gang member.

Fields was also a victim of gun violence on March 31 in West Englewood.

At that time, Fields was using Facebook Live, which sends out a live video stream, while standing on the corner of 56th Street and Hoyne.

Brian Fields | Facebook

He was chatting amiably about his visit to the city before gunshots sounded and the phone apparently tumbled from his hand, landing with the lens pointed to the sky — until the shooter steps over the phone and fires another dozen shots and steps out of the frame.

Lorenzo Parish | Homicide Watch Chicago

Man charged with October fatal shootings of Chiquita Ford and Brian Fields outside Back of the Yards gas station