WEEK IN REVIEW: At least 19 people were homicide victims in Chicago, including 16 who were shot to death

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 16:00:36 -0500

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Chicago Sun-Times file photo

It was another violent week in Chicago, with at least 16 people killed by gunfire, a 2-month-old boy dying from child abuse, a man suffereing fatal injured from an explosion in his garage, and woman killed in a hit-and-run crash that also injured her husband.

The week's latest homicide was a 43-year-old man found shot to death Sunday night in the West Chatham neighborhood and an autopsy ruled his death a homicide. Officers performing a well-being check about 11:30 p.m. found Anreco D. Nichols unresponsive in his home in the 8100 block of South Harvard, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Nichols suffered multiple gunshot wounds, and was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:41 p.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.

A 33-year-old man has been charged with reckless homicide for a hit-and-run crash that left 57-year-old Carmen Maria Vanegas dead and her husband seriously injured Sunday morning in Avondale. Jason Missak was also charged with two counts of leaving the scene of an accident involving injury or death, all felonies, according to police.

Missak was driving a white Jaguar with Illinois plates “DO R DI” in the 3200 block of Belmont Avenue about 7 a.m. Sunday when he ran a red light at Kedzie Avenue, police said. The Jaguar hit a Chevrolet that was northbound on Kedzie, sending it spinning into two other cars in oncoming traffic, police said.

Vanegas died at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Her 64-year-old husband, who was driving, was taken to the same hospital in serious condition. Missak ran away from the scene, but was arrested shortly afterwards.

A 21-year-old man shot to death early Sunday in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood. Officers responding to a call of shots fired about 12:50 a.m. found Dontay Murray Jr. unresponsive inside a vehicle in an alley in the 7600 block of South Drexel, according to authorities.

Murray was shot twice in the neck and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 20-year-old man was shot dead in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood Saturday evening. About 6 p.m., Kori O. Sellers was sitting in the passenger seat with another person at the wheel of a car parked in the 8600 block of South Ashland.

Someone walked up, reached into the window and fired multiple shots at Sellers, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Sellers, of the 7900 block of South Sangamon, was shot in the chest and arm, authorities said. The driver took him to St. Bernard Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The death of a 2-month-old boy Saturday in the Southwest Side Ashburn neighborhood was ruled a homicide, and his father has been charged with murder. Officers responded to a call of an unresponsive baby at Bryson Holman’s home in the 3200 block of West 83rd Place at noon, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy Sunday found that Bryson died of multiple injuries from abuse and ruled his death a homicide, and on Monday, Brandon Holman, 34, was charged with two counts of murder, according to police. Holman called for medical assistance for his son, but the infant was pronounced dead when paramedics arrived.

Police said the boy suffered bruising to his arms and neck, and appeared to have been deceased for some time..

A 32-year-old man was shot and killed early Saturday in the West Englewood neighborhood. William Palmer was sitting in a vehicle near his home in the 6300 block of South Honore about 5:20 a.m. when a gunman walked up and shot him in the head, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

A 38-year-old man was fatally shot in the South Side Washington Heights neighborhood early Saturday. Darnell Hardeman was outside in the 900 block of West 96th Street about 3:15 a.m. when two other people walked up and shot him several times, according to authorities.

Hardeman, of the 9600 block of South Halsted, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner's office. An autopsy found he died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Anthony Howard was found fatally shot in the Austin neighborhood early Saturday. Officers responding to a call of a person shot found the 35-year-old unresponsive in the alley of the 200 block of North Laramie about 2:50 a.m., according to police and the medical examiner's office.

Howard, of the 100 block of South Parkside, was pronounced dead at the scene. He died of a gunshot wound from the neck to the head, an autopsy showed.

A man was killed and another wounded in a shooting Friday in Logan Square. The attack happened at 6:49 p.m. in the 2900 block of West Armitage, according to police.

Daniel Alcantana, 20, was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene, police and the medical examiner’s office said. The other man, 21, was shot in the leg and was taken to a hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with fatally shooting 16-year-old Christian Bandemer last Friday morning near U.S. Cellular Field in Bridgeport. Anthony Mendoza was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree murder, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

The teen was shot in the chest about 11:35 a.m. in the 3500 block of South Parnell. A police source said the shooting was initially thought to be accidental, happening while the boys, along with Bandemer’s cousin, were playing with the gun. But Mendoza allegedly told the cousin not to talk to police about what happened; and while he was being taken in for questioning, allegedly admitted to the crime in a video post on Snapchat, sources said.

Jamaal Bellamy was killed in a drive-by shooting late Thursday in East Garfield Park. A red car approached the 35-year-old in the 700 block of South Saint Louis about 10:50 p.m. and someone inside fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner's office.

Bellamy was struck in the chest, arm and side; and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He lived in the 1500 block of West 59th Street.

Kaysar Chako of Park Ridge was fatally shot Wednesday night in West Rogers Park. The 19-year-old was sitting in a parked vehicle in the 3000 block of West Devon about 9 p.m. when someone exiting a store fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner's office.

Chako was pronounced dead at the scene, and an autopsy found he died of multiple gunshot wounds.

A 17-year-old boy was shot to death Wednesday evening in South Shore. Marshawn Clinkscale was found unresponsive on the street with a gunshot wound to the head about 5 p.m. in the 7500 block of South Coles, according to authorities.

Clinkscale, of the 1700 block of East 73rd Street, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.

A 16-year-old boy was shot to death Wednesday morning in West Elsdon. Victor Felix was on his way to school in the 5600 block of South Keeler at 8:44 a.m. when a brown Buick pulled up, the driver got out and fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner's office.

Felix was shot in the left and right shoulder, mouth and hand, authorities said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.

A 15-year-old boy was fatally shot in the South Chicago neighborhood Tuesday night. About 10:15 p.m., Fabian Lavinder was in the front seat of a vehicle in the 2900 block of East 89th Street when a white sedan pulled up and someone inside shot him in the chest, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He died less than an hour later at Advocate Trinity Hospital.

An 84-year-old man’s death following a garage explosion early Tuesday in Morgan Park has been ruled a homicide. About 4 a.m. Tuesday, Henry S. McCann Jr. saw someone trying to break into his garage in the 11200 block of South Green Street, according to authorities. He went outside to investigate, and the suspect ran away. But when McCann opened the door to check the garage, something inside exploded.

He was taken to Roseland Hospital with burns and later transferred to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4 p.m. Friday, authorities said. An autopsy Sunday found he died of complications from thermal injuries, with heart disease listed as a secondary cause. The fire from the explosion spread to three other garages, police said.

A man was shot to death late Monday in West Rogers Park. Officers responding to a call of shots fired about 11 p.m. found 39-year-old Johan Jean lying in a gangway in the 6400 block of North Rockwell, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Jean, who lived in Evanston, was shot in the neck and was taken to Presence Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.

A source said the shooting stemmed from a dispute between two women. One of them has a child with the victim and the other was his girlfriend. Both women were armed, and the man was eventually shot during the argument. Police said no one was in custody.

A 44-year-old man was fatally shot Monday night in the Washington Park neighborhood. Officers responding to a call of shots fired about 11 p.m. found James Taylor lying on the ground near his vehicle in the 5100 block of South Calumet, according to pauthorities.

Taylor, who lived in the 6500 block of South Ellis, had been shot in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kevin M. Atkins died Wednesday, nearly two weeks after being shot in the Lawndale neighborhood. The 21-year-old was outside about 4:40 p.m. May 21 in the 3600 block of West 13th Street when a vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Atkins, of the 3600 block of West Douglas Boulevard, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 5:09 a.m. Wednesday, according to the medical examiner’s office. An autopsy found he died of complications from a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Man found shot to death in alley in Austin identified as 35-year-old Anthony Howard

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 11:06:17 -0500

A man was found fatally shot in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side early Saturday has been identified as 35-year-old Anthony Howard.

Officers responding to a call of a person shot found Howard unresponsive in the alley of the 200 block of North Laramie about 2:50 a.m., according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Howard, of the 100 block of South Parkside, was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:06 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.

He died of a gunshot wound from the neck to the head, and his death was ruled a homicide, an autopsy showed.

--Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Anthony Howard | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: At least 19 people were homicide victims in Chicago, including 16 who were shot to death

Man found shot to death in alley in Austin identified as 35-year-old Anthony Howard