WEEK IN REVIEW: Eight murdered throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 09:50:46 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Eight people were murdered throughout Chicago last week.

Five of the killings happened over the weekend, when 29 people were shot.

The most recent murder happened when 17-year-old Jerome Harris was shot in the neck in the 1100 block of West 112th Place about 9 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Harris, of the 11000 block of South State Street, was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died about an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In the West Garfield Park neighborhood, 33-year-old Brian Davis was shot in the back in the 4100 block of West Jackson Boulevard about 7:25 p.m. Sunday, authorities said. Davis, of the 200 block of South Central Avenue, died at Mount Sinai Hospital less than an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On the Near North Side, 32-year-old Martrell Ross was fatally shot in the 800 block of North Orleans Street about 3:50 a.m. Sunday, authorities said. Ross, of the 300 block of South Mozart Street, died at the scene, according to the medical examiner's office.

The shooting happened near nightclubs where rappers Nas and Big Boi were holding separate Lollapalooza after parties.

On Friday, 16-year-old Ramon Breceda was shot in the chest in the 2400 block of South Washtenaw Avenue in the Humboldt Park neighborhood about 11:30 p.m., authorities said. Breceda, of the 2700 block of West 23rd Street, died less than an hour later at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, according to the medical examiner's office.

Prosecutors said aspiring Lating Kings Andrew Anania, 18, Ricardo Cortez, 15, and Eduardo Moreno, 15, shot Breceda as part of a gang initiation. All three were charged with first-degree murder.

About the same time in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, 28-year-old Orlando Lomax was stabbed and beaten to death during a fight with four males in the 3900 block of West North Avenue, authorities said.

Lomax, of the 1500 block of North Karlov, died at Mount Sinai Hospital minutes later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

In the South Shore neighborhood, police found 23-year-old Devin Pope fatally shot in the entryway of an apartment in the 6700 block of South Clyde Avenue about 3:40 a.m. Friday, authorities said.

Pope, of the 7200 block of South Paxton Avenue, died at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Thursday, 34-year-old Samuel Walker Sr. was fatally shot in a driveway in the 4100 block of West Crystal Street in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, authorities said.

The killing happened just two days before the funeral for his slain 13-year-old son, Samuel Walker Jr., who was fatally shot a week earlier in the East Garfield Park neighborhood.

The killings started when 49-year-old Alvin Ivy was shot in the 200 block of South Western Avenue about 10 p.m. Tuesday, according to authorities. Police said Ivy and two teenagers were standing outside when a male exited a dark car and opened fire.

Ivy, of the 1300 block of South Kedzie Avenue, was shot in the chest and died at Stroger Hospital a short time later, authorities said. The teenagers, 17 and 18, were each shot in the leg and taken to Stroger Hospital for treatment, police said.

Additionally, 46-year-old Antwan James, of the 8000 block of South Carpenter Street, died Sunday morning after being shot July 21 in an alley in the 1200 block of West 72nd Place, authorities said.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 239 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including nine 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.

UPDATE: Man, two teens denied bond in murder of 16-year-old Ramon Breceda in Little Village

Michael Lansu — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 06:43:36 -0500

Andrew Anania / Photo from Chicago Police

BY MATT MCKINNEY
For Chicago Sun-Times

A Chicago man and two teenagers were ordered held without bond Sunday in connection with the killing of 16-year-old Ramon Breceda in the Little Village neighborhood Friday evening.

Andrew Anania, 18; Ricardo Cortez, 15, and Eduardo Moreno, 15, were charged with first-degree murder in connection with the killing.

The accused were aspiring members of the Latin Kings, and shooting a rival gang member was part of their initiation, prosecutors said.

Anania, of the 2400 Block of South Troy Street, is accused of firing a 9-millimeter handgun at Breceda in the 2400 block of South Washtenaw Avenue, authorities said.

Breceda fired back at Anania and Cortez, hitting Anania in the arm and Cortez in the buttocks, prosecutors said.

Breceda, of the 2700 block of West 23rd Street, was shot in the chest and was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, where he was pronounced dead at 12:17 a.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Police in the area for “gun-suppression operations” heard the gunshots and saw Moreno running from the area, prosecutors said.

“I wasn’t the one with the gun!” Moreno allegedly told police, according to court records.

He allegedly told police later that he had been involved in the shooting, prosecutors said.

“I will not release dangerous people on the streets,” Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. said in court Sunday as he ordered all three held without bond.

Ricardo Cortez | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: Eight murdered throughout Chicago

UPDATE: Man, two teens denied bond in murder of 16-year-old Ramon Breceda in Little Village