Tramian Barnes | Homicide Watch Chicago

Man out on bond for the 2014 murder of Alex Anderson now also accused of killing Anthony Heatherly in April

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 14:24:56 -0500

By RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago SUn-Times

Tramian Barnes | Cook County Sheriff's Dept.

According to Cook County prosecutors, an Oak Park man already facing charges for the drug-related fatal shooting of Alex Anderson in 2014 was also involved in the murder of Anthony Heatherly while out on bond.

Tramian Barnes shot the 19-year-old Anderson in the stomach after the two had planned to meet for a narcotics transaction in 2014, authorities said.

Barnes’ latest victim, the 17-year-old Heatherly, thought he was going to sell Barnes and his cohort, Kenyatta Alexander, marijuana when he was killed April 4.

Barnes, 21, was awaiting trial for Anderson’s murder when he shot and ran over Heatherly in the parking lot of Taco Burrito King in the 5500 block of North Harlem, Assistant State’s Attorney Liam Reardon said.

Barnes was out of Cook County Jail after posting 10 percent of a $1 million bond Judge Donald Panarese Jr. gave him two years ago, Reardon said.

Anthony Heatherly | Facebook

That spring afternoon, Barnes and Alexander got into Heatherly’s black Hyundai while Barnes’ girlfriend pulled up next to them in her Nissan, Reardon said.

Once inside the Hyundai, Alexander allegedly fired into Heatherly’s chest. Barnes and Alexander then pushed Heatherly out of his car and Barnes got into the driver’s seat and drove off, following his girlfriend in the other car, Reardon said.

When Barnes drove away, Heatherly was dragged several feet and run over by his own car, Reardon said.

Surveillance cameras captured the incident, and a witness identified Barnes and Alexander as the pair who got into Heatherly’s Hyundai, Reardon said.

After leaving the parking lot, Barnes, Alexander and Barnes’ girlfriend stopped a few blocks away, where the girlfriend had parked another car, Reardon said.

Barnes told the woman to go home and wait for them to call, Reardon said.

The pair ended up calling from Maywood, where the girlfriend drove and picked them up in an alley, Reardon said.

Heatherly’s black Hyundai was in the alley, Reardon said.

Barnes and Alexander got into Barnes’ girlfriend’s car and were taken to a friend’s apartment in Melrose Park, Reardon said.

But Barnes and Alexander allegedly told others what they had done. And Alexander made admissions when he was arrested earlier this week, Reardon said.

Cellphone records also show that Barnes and his girlfriend were at key locations tied to Heatherly’s murder, Reardon said. And a witness said he saw Alexander, 39, with the gun before the shooting.

Police have since recovered the license plate Barnes’ girlfriend had on her Nissan, Reardon said.

Alex Anderson | Facebook

Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil ordered Barnes held without bond Wednesday on new charges of murder, armed robbery and vehicular hijacking.

Alexander was not in court because he was hospitalized after drinking bleach, a police officer told the judge.

When Anderson was shot, police said he told officers, “Tre shot me,”

Barnes, then living in Joliet, fled to Georgia before being arrested for Anderson’s murder.

PHOTO ESSAY: Winter memorials mark the deaths of Chicago murder victims

Chase DiFeliciantonio — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 16:30:44 -0500

BY CHASE DIFELICIANTONIO
Homicide Watch Chicago

A balloon sways in the wind. An empty liquor bottle rests on the pavement. Flowers wilt in the January snow. These are the memorials for some of Chicago's murder victims.

The memorials are temporary places where grieving family and friends can share words and photos to celebrate the victim's life.

Some memorials are erected at the scene of a crime, while others are built outside the victim's home, but all are reminders of lives taken by violence.

Alex Anderson

Tramian Barnes allegedly fatally shot 19-year-old Alex Anderson in January in the Portage Park neighborhood. After being shot, Anderson stumbled home and said, “Tre Shot me.” Anderson died the next day and became the 15th homicide victim of 2014.

Photo from Alex Anderson memorial / Photo by Chase DiFeliciantonio

A memorial for Anderson featuring candles and liquor bottles was created near a snowy sidewalk outside his home.

Photos from Alex Anderson memorial / Photo by Chase DiFeliciantonio

Ronald Hayes

Ronald Hayes, 17, was fatally shot in February while shoveling snow by his Near West Side home, family said. His mother, Cathy Booker, wore her son's Banner West Academy school ID around her neck as she recalled his love for basketball and his teenage appetite for tacos and Italian beef.

Booker shows Hayes' school ID / Photo by Chase DiFeliciantonio

Hayes’ memorial was created where he was gunned down and featured stuffed animals and flowers struggling to survive in the February snow. A single blue balloon swayed silhouetted against the sky -- an exclamation point marking the city’s 31st homicide of 2014.

Photos from Ronald memorial / Photo by Chase DiFeliciantonio

Javan Boyd

Javan Boyd, 28, was working his night job as a livery driver when at least two gunmen fatally shot him just blocks from U.S. Cellular Field in February. His aunt, Trina Boyd, said he was a hard working man who loved to play basketball and spend time with his 11-year-old daughter.

The memorials often look colorful from a distance, but up close nicknames and expressions of love are written in black ink on a blank white board.

Photos from Javan Boyd memorial / Photo by Chase DiFeliciantonio

Eric Woods

Alexander Scott allegedly fatally shot 25-year-old Eric Woods at his West Garfield Park home in late February during a domestic dispute.

Eric Woods / Family Photo

Mourners stood in front of the home and wrote “forever you live thru” and “you live through us” on a message board posted outside. A trail of blood spattered the stairs and sidewalk in front of the home and red roses had been scattered across the scene.

Photos from Eric Woods memorial / Photo by Chase DiFeliciantonio

UPDATE: Tramian Barnes held on $1M bond for alleged Portage Park murder of Alex Anderson

Michael Lansu — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:39:44 -0600

Tramian Barnes / Photo from Chicago Police

BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

A Joliet teenager was ordered held in lieu of $1 million bond Wednesday for allegedly shooting another man to death last month in the Portage Park neighborhood.

Alex Anderson knew his killer and told police, witnesses and his girlfriend that Tramian Barnes shot him twice while he was sitting in Barnes’ car on Jan. 20, Cook County prosecutors said.

“Tre shot me,” Anderson allegedly said.

Moments before, a friend saw 19-year-old Anderson go into an alley in the 4300 block of North Milwaukee Avenue.

When Anderson didn’t return, the friend texted him, but he didn’t answer.

Minutes later, Anderson turned up at his home in the 5000 block of West Cullom Avenue holding his bleeding abdomen, prosecutors said.

A witness gave Anderson a towel, which he pressed against his chest.

Alex Anderson / Memorial Photo

Anderson, worried he was going to die, started panicking and told the authorities and his friends that Barnes had shot him, prosecutors said.

Anderson later died at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. He suffered gunshot wounds to his abdomen and arm.

Prosecutors said police recovered a .22 and .32 caliber gun from 18-year-old Barnes’ residence. Those weapons are still being processed.

Barnes’ cell phone records show that he was in the vicinity of Milwaukee and Cullom avenues when Anderson was shot, prosecutors said.

Barnes, who was recently in Georgia where he had family, was recently brought to Chicago to face murder charges.