Man gets 3 years in prison for accidental shooting that left 15-year-old Mario Venegas Jr. dead

Jeff Mayes — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 09:42:02 -0600

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Orlando Gonzalez | Illinois Dept. of Corrections

A 19-year-old man has been sentenced to three years in prison for an accidental shooting that left 15-year-old Mario Venegas Jr. dead last year in a home in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

Orlando Gonzalez pleaded guilty Friday to causing child endangerment and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, according to Cook County court records.

Venegas, 15, was with Gonzalez and a 17-year-old boy inside a home in the 2700 block of West Evergreen on the afternoon of Aug. 5, 2016, authorities said at the time.

The 17-year-old was handling a gun, which belonged to Gonzalez, when it accidentally discharged and shot Venegas in the head, authorities said.

Mario Venegas Jr. | Facebook

Venegas, who lived in Bucktown, was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died the next day, authorities said. An autopsy ruled his death a homicide.

The 17-year-old was charged with involuntary manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm by someone under 18, authorities said. His court information wasn’t available because he is a juvenile.

Judge Earl Hoffenberg sentenced Gonzalez to three years for each count, but the sentences will be served concurrently, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records. He will receive credit for 204 days served in the Cook County Jail, and must serve one year of supervised release.

He was booked into the Stateville Correctional Center to begin serving his sentence on Monday, according to IDOC records.

WEEK IN REVIEW: While new police shooting video and protests get headlines, 15 people killed in Chicago

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 09 Aug 2016 16:00:07 -0500

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Last week saw the release of of the video of another fatal police shooting, and another round of protests from groups aimed at stopping police violence.

But while the city's attention was focused on the shooting that claimed the life of Paul O'Neal, at least 15 other people died from shootings and other violence in the city.

The latest week of violence brought the city's homicide total to over 425, according to the unofficial count by the Chicago Sun-Times Wire.

Six of the killings occurred over the weekend, capped by the killing of a man at his own birthday party in the University Village neighborhood early Sunday.
The 43-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman were at the party, attended by more than 100 people, when it was interrupted by gunfire about 2:20 a.m. in the 1300 block of West Hastings, according to police.

Everick Coleman, known to friends as Blue, was shot in the head and chest, and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. The woman suffered a gunshot wound to the left arm and back, and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where her condition was stabilized.
A 29-year-old man killed in a South Deering neighborhood shooting early Sunday. Someone shot Luis Marin several times in the head about 4:25 a.m. in the 11600 block of South Torrence, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
The attack stemmed from a domestic dispute and home invasion that happened in the 10700 block of South Avenue N, police said. No one was in custody as of Tuesday morning.
A 26-year-old man was killed in a Pilsen neighborhood drive-by shooting Saturday evening. About 11 p.m., Victor Alvarado was walking in the 1900 block of South May when someone began shooting from a passing car, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Alvarado was shot multiple times and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died about 90 minutes later.
Maurice Selvy was killed and another man wounded in a shooting Saturday morning on the Near North Side, just a block from the victim’s home. The pair were outside in the 800 block of North Cambridge when someone opened fire about 3 a.m., striking the 32-year-old Selvy in the head and abdomen, and a 33-year-old man in the torso, according to police and the medical examiner's office.
They were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where Selvy, known to friends as Reese D, was pronounced dead, the medical examiner’s office said. The older man was listed in good condition, but police said he was being uncooperative with detectives.
A Riverdale neighborhood shooting left a 17-year-old boy dead and a 41-year-old man wounded early Sunday. About 2:20 a.m., the pair were outside in the 300 block of East 130th Street when they heard gunfire and realized they'd been hit, according to police.
They were taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where the boy died of a gunshot wound to the head at 7:57 a.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was identified as Corey Buckner.

The man was also shot, though it wasn’t clear on the body where he was hit. His condition stabilized, police said. A person was arrested after the shooting, but police on Tuesday said that person had been released without charges.
A 15-year-old boy died Saturday morning, a day after being wounded in what police called an "accidental" shooting as teens were playing with a gun in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. Mario Venegas Jr. suffered a gunshot wound to the head about 1:15 p.m. Friday inside a building in the 2700 block of West Evergreen, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Venegas was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 8:58 a.m. Saturday, authorities said. On Monday, two teenagers were charged with felonies for the shooting. Orlando Gonzalez, 18, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon without a FOID card; and a 17-year-old boy was charged with involuntary manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm by someone under 18 years of age, according to police.
An 18-year-old man was shot to death early Saturday in the West Ridge neighborhood, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Miguel Bahena was walking about 12:30 a.m. in the 2100 block of West Devon Avenue when a male in a gray hoodie and light blue pants began shooting at him, authorities said. He was shot in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 16-year-old boy was shot to death in a vacant Park Manor neighborhood lot Friday afternoon. Officers responding to a call of shots fired at 12:39 p.m. in the 6700 block of South Wabash found Delance Price unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Price was pronounced dead at the scene.
A man was stabbed to death Wednesday morning in the Ashburn neighborhood and his roommate has been charged with murder. Michael Montgomery was stabbed multiple times in the upper body about 5:10 a.m. during a domestic dispute at his home in the 3900 block of West 85th Street, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Montgomery was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where he died about two hours later. An autopsy found he died of multiple sharp force injuries. Chadwick Perkins, 26, was charged Saturday with one count of first-degree murder for the attack at the home he shared with Montgomery.
Toryius Keefer crashed his vehicle after being shot in the head early Thursday in Roseland. Officers responded to a call of shots fired in the 10200 block of South Lafayette about 2:35 a.m. and found the vehicle crashed into the side of the garage, according to police.
Paramedics informed officers that the 21-year-old had been shot in the left eye and was dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office. The vehicle also sustained gunshot damage.
A 54-year-old Oak Lawn man was shot to death and a 17-year-old girl were injured Wednesday afternoon in an Avalon Park shooting. About 2:15 p.m., David J. Plank was driving in the 8400 block of South Stony Island when he heard gunfire and realized he’d been hit in the upper torso, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Plank was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead an hour later. The girl suffered a graze wound to the right calf, police said. Neither was thought to have been the intended target of the shooter.
Penny Gearhart, a fixture in the Uptown community for her work with StreetWise and other homeless programs, was killed Wednesday afternoon when she was caught in gang crossfire on the North Side street where she lived. The 57-year-old was walking with a 58-year-old man when they were caught in the middle of a gang-related shooting about 3:15 p.m. in the 4500 block of North Sheridan, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Someone in a passing vehicle opened fire, striking both victims, police said. They were taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where Gearhart died, according to the medical examiner’s office. The man was shot in the leg and was listed in good condition, police said.
A man was stabbed to death Tuesday afternoon in Austin. Ronnie Hutchen, 28, was found about 3:50 p.m. lying on the sidewalk in the 600 block of North Lotus with a stab wound to the abdomen, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he was pronounced dead atbout six hours later.
A 29-year-old man was shot to death early Tuesday in the Austin neighborhood. About 12:30 a.m., Donta J. Lee was walking on a sidewalk in the 5200 block of West Gladys when a gunman got out of a white car and opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Lee, of west suburban Maywood, was shot in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene.
A 28-year-old man died after he was shot Monday afternoon in the West Lawn neighborhood. Miguel Diaz was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds on the sidewalk in the 3900 block of West 68th Street at 2:09 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner's office. Diaz, who lived on the same block, was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead three hours later.

Police say fatal shooting of Mario Venegas Jr. was 'accidental,' but two teenagers charged with felonies

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 20:42:45 -0500

By MITCHELL ARMENTROUT
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Orlando Gonzalez | Chicago Police

Two teenagers have been charged with the accidental fatal shooting of 15-year-old Mario Venegas Jr. last week as they played with a gun inside a Humboldt Park neighborhood home.

Venegas suffered a gunshot wound to the head about 1:25 p.m. in a building in the 2700 block of West Evergreen, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 8:58 a.m. Saturday, authorities said. He lived in 2000 block of West McLean. An autopsy Sunday ruled his death a homicide.

Orlando Gonzalez, 18, of the 2000 block of North Hoyne, was charged with one felony count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon without a FOID card, according to a statement from police,

Mario Venegas Jr. | Facebook

A 17-year-old boy was charged with involuntary manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm by someone under 18 years of age, bot felonies, according to police.

Police said that the 17-year-old had been handling the gun, which belonged to Gonzalez, inside the residence when it accidentally discharged. The boy lived in the same block as the shooting.

Gonzalez’s bond was set at $150,000, and his next court date is scheduled for Aug. 12, according to the Cook County sheriff’s website. Court information for the boy was not immediately available.

Orlando Gonzalez | Homicide Watch Chicago

Man gets 3 years in prison for accidental shooting that left 15-year-old Mario Venegas Jr. dead

WEEK IN REVIEW: While new police shooting video and protests get headlines, 15 people killed in Chicago

Police say fatal shooting of Mario Venegas Jr. was 'accidental,' but two teenagers charged with felonies