WEEK IN REVIEW: 23 killed in Chicago, including popular Mexican singer and man who filmed his own murder

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 16:00:01 -0500

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Chicago Sun-Times file photo

At least 23 people died from gunshot wounds in Chicago last week, including a popular Mexican singer who had moved to the city just three years ago, a young man gunned down a block from his home in front of a church where Mass was being conducted; and a man who seemed to have posted a video of his murder to Facebook as it happened.

The week's last homicide was a 21-year-old man was shot to death on Lake Shore Drive late Sunday, according to Chicago Police. He was in a vehicle in the 600 block of South Lake Shore Drive when shots rang out and he was struck in the lower back.

He was driven to the first block of East 35th Street, where he was abandoned, police said. Officers responding to that block about 10:40 p.m. found him lying on the ground. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he later died. His name had not been released as of Monday afternoon.

Another 21-year-old man took himself to an Englewood hospital after being shot on the South Side Sunday evening, but died before he was able to tell anyone where the crime occurred.

Otis Richmond showed up at St. Bernard Hospital at 326 W. 64th St. at 6:50 p.m. and was pronounced dead at 7:08 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Police said he was shot in the abdomen, but did not know when or where the shooting occurred.

Earlier Sunday, police said a high-powered assault rifle was used to gun down a 22-year-old man outside a Catholic Church that was holding Mass at the time.
Salvador Suarez was walking near 46th and Hermitage when a light-colored vehicle drove up and an individual started firing shots from inside the car, police said. The shooting happened about 1:30 p.m outside Holy Cross Church. Suarez tried to run, but was hit multiple times with gunfire, and pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

A police spokesman said there was “nothing to indicate that the church or parishioners were targeted.”

A popular singer and former finalist on "La Voz," Mexico's version of the TV show "The Voice, died Saturday afternoon, two days after he was shot in front of his studio during an apparent carjacking attempt in the Brighton Park neighborhood.

Alejandro Fuentes, 45, was in a vehicle in the 4300 block of South Archer at 10:15 p.m. Thursday when someone with a gun walked up and ordered him to get out, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

He at first resisted, then finally got out, but the suspect shot him three times in the head, police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was kept on life support until he died at Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

A man was shot to death Saturday evening in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood. Carlton Hall, 30, was in a vehicle about 8:20 p.m. in the 7600 block of South Eggleston when another vehicle pulled alongside and someone inside opened fire, according to authorities.

Hall suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the torso, and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where he died minutes later.

A south suburban man died after he was shot Saturday evening in Park Manor. Just after 6 p.m., someone in the 7300 block of South Champlain heard gunfire and came out to find 23-year-old Michael A. Brown with a gunshot wound to the chest inside a vehicle, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Brow had been talking to another male, who pulled out a gun and shot him, police said. The Matteson resident was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died about an hour later.

A man and a woman were found shot to death Saturday morning after an apparent murder-suicide in Hyde Park. Officers assisting the Chicago Fire Department with a well-being check in the 1400 block of East 54th found the 65-year-old woman and 73-year-old man dead at 9:49 a.m., according to police.

They both had suffered gunshot wounds to the head, and the man’s wound was self-inflicted, police said. Their names had not been released as of Monday afternoon pending notification of family.

Eric Smith was shot to death a block from his Austin neighborhood home Saturday morning. Officers received a call of shots fired in the 4800 block of West Monroe just before 5:30 a.m. and found the 23-year-old facedown on the ground, police and the medical examiner’s office said. Smith was shot several times and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

A man was killed and two security guards with Kates Detective Agency were wounded in a shooting in the University Village neighborhood early Saturday. The three were shot about 3:40 a.m. in the 1300 block of West Hastings, police said.

Witnesses said the security guards pulled up to a large party outside the ABLA-Robert Brooks Homes before shots were fired. Eric D. Knox, 24, was shot multiple times in the back, and was driven by friends to University of Chicago Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

The security guards were taken to Stroger Hospital for treatment, and their conditions were stabilized. One, a 29-year-old man, was shot in both thighs, the hand and forearm. The second, a 30-year-old man, was shot in the hand.

Two men were shot—one fatally—in West Garfield Park early Saturday. Latrell McMahon, 18; and a 19-year-old man were in the first block of South Springfield about 1:30 a.m. when they were shot, authorities said.

McMahon was shot in the abdomen and pronounced dead at the scene at 1:56 a.m. The other man was shot in the right leg and was taken in good condition to Mount Sinai Hospital.

A man was shot to death in the North Lawndale neighborhood late Friday. Charles Wiley, 22, was shot in the neck about 10:30 p.m. in the 2200 block of South Kirkland. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:04 p.m., authorities said.

A 16-year-old boy was shot to death Friday night in West Englewood. Melvin Cook was shot in the head just after 9 p.m. by two males who approached the vehicle he was riding in, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

At the time of the shooting, the vehicle was going down an alley in the 6500 block of South Hamilton Avenue. Cook was pronounced dead at the scene,and the driver ran away from the vehicle after the shooting.

A 21-year-old man was shot to death late Thursday in Englewood. Victor Robinson was sitting on a porch in the 5700 block of South Peoria at 9:15 p.m. when a car drove past and loud reports were heard, according to authorities. When police arrived, they found him on the ground and unresponsive. Robinson, who had been shot in the head, was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:13 p.m.

A man was shot to death Thursday afternoon in South Shore. About 4:05 p.m., 20-year-old Demetrius Archer was sitting in a chair on the sidewalk in the 7800 block of South East End Avenue when a white SUV pulled up and someone exited, stood over him and fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Archer suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A Chicago Public Schools employee was shot to death Thursday afternoon outside an elementary school in Austin. Denzel D. Thornton, 25, was getting into a parked vehicle about 12:30 p.m. in the 4800 block of West Walton when someone walked up and shot him in the head, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. The shooter then ran to a black car nearby and drove away.

The shooting occurred in front of Ronald McNair Elementary at 4820 W. Walton St. Thornton worked for CPS Nutrition Services for the past 10 months, and was making his regular rounds at the time, according to a statement from CPS.

A 27-year-old man died Thursday, more than a week after he was shot in the Avondale neighborhood. Jeremy Rogers was meeting with someone he knew about 6 a.m. June 5 in the 3900 block of West Belmont when the two got into an argument, according to authorities. The other person then pulled a gun and shot him in the head.

He was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 3:58 a.m. Thursday, authorities said. An autopsy Friday found he died from a gunshot wound to the head and his death was ruled a homicide.

A video appears to show the final moments in the life of a man who was fatally shot in the North Lawndale neighborhood Wednesday night. About 8:45 p.m., 28-year-old Antonio Perkins was found facedown with gunshot wounds to the neck and head in a vacant lot in the 1600 block of South Drake, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:07 p.m.

Perkins had been partying with friends on the block and was making a Facebook Live video when the fatal shots were fired. The video has been viewed tens of thousands of time on Facebook.

A man was shot to death in the Back of the Yards neighborhood Tuesday evening. Steven Edwards, 22, was outside about 7 p.m. near a gangway in the 4800 block of South Laflin when a car pulled up, and someone got out and shot him in the head, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Edwards, who lived on the same block, was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooter got back into the car and took off.

A 17-year-old boy was found fatally shot in the Fernwood neighborhood Tuesday afternoon. Darryl M. Ferguson was shot in the chest about 4 p.m. inside a home in the 10200 block of South Normal, according to authorities.

Ferguson, who lives on the block, was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:19 p.m., according to the medical examiner's office. Police initially said the shooting might have been accidentally self-inflicted, but an autopsy found the boy died of a gunshot wound to the back, and his death was ruled a homicide.

A 35-year-old man died after he was shot early Tuesday in Austin. Antoine Randle was standing on the sidewalk about 3:40 a.m. in the 4900 block of West Huron when two males walked up, and one of them pulled a gun and opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner's office.

Randle was shot in the chest and right arm, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 5:45 a.m., according to the medical examiner's office. An autopsy found he died of multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide.

Davion Barron was wounded in an Englewood neighborhood drive-by shooting late Monday and died early Tuesday morning. The 21-year-old was walking about 10:45 p.m. in the 6600 block of South May when a black car drove by and someone inside opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was shot in the left side and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:20 a.m. Tuesday.

One man was killed and another wounded in a West Garfield Park neighborhood shooting Monday night. Adrian Watson, 29; and a 21-year-old man were standing outside about 9:15 p.m. in the 5300 block of West Gladys when they heard gunfire and felt pain, according to police.

Watson was shot multiple times and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead Tuesday, according to the medical examiner’s office. The younger man suffered a graze wound to the left buttock and took himself to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where his condition was stabilized.

An 18-year-old man was found shot to death Monday morning in a car in Englewood. Jordan Liggins was found in the 6500 block of South Ross Avenue at 11:54 a.m. with gunshot wounds to the head and hand, according to police and the medical examiner's office.

Liggins, of the 400 block of West 75th Street, was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy found he died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Adrian Watson of Berwyn killed, second man wounded in West Garfield Park shooting

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 14 Jun 2016 15:56:46 -0500

Adrian Watson of west suburban Berwyn was killed and another man was wounded in a West Garfield Park neighborhood shooting Monday night.

Watson, 29; and a 21-year-old man were standing outside about 9:15 p.m. in the 5300 block of West Gladys when they heard gunfire and felt pain, according to Chicago Police.

Watson was shot multiple times and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:08 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 1800 block of South Oak Park Avenue in Berwyn.

The younger man suffered a graze wound to the left buttock and took himself to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where his condition was stabilized.

--Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Adrian Watson | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: 23 killed in Chicago, including popular Mexican singer and man who filmed his own murder

Adrian Watson of Berwyn killed, second man wounded in West Garfield Park shooting