Antonio Smith | Homicide Watch Chicago

Four men charged with murder in Greater Grand Crossing shooting death of 9-year-old Antonio Smith

Michael Lansu — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 16:39:48 -0500

Derrick Allmon / Photo from Chicago Police

BY TINA SFONDELES
Chicago Sun-Times

A gang member recently out of jail shot and killed a 9-year-old boy because he thought the child was warning rival gang members of his presence, Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said.

“This didn’t have to happen,” McCarthy said Friday after announcing the charges.

In the end, four men were charged with first-degree murder: Derrick Allmon, 19, of the 7400 block of South Shore Drive; Jabari Williams, 22, of the 1900 block of North Sycamore Street in Hanover Park; Michael Baker, 19, of the 8100 block of South Wentworth Avenue; and Paris Denard, 19, of the 7300 block of South Dorchester Avenue.

The four are accused in the Aug. 20 shooting death of 9-year-old Antonio Smith in the backyard of a home in the 1200 block of East 73rd Street.

Family members told the Chicago Sun-Times Antonio stormed out of the family apartment when his mother refused to get him a cupcake.

McCarthy said the four men were part of a group driving around in two vehicles in search of rival gang members. They stopped when they saw two potential targets and Williams gave Allmon a gun and told him to shoot both men.

Antonio Smith / Family photo

Cook County Judge Donald Panarese Jr. ordered all four men held without bond Saturday.

When Allmon entered a backyard he saw Antonio and, believing the child was warning the men, opened fire and shot the boy several times in the back and side, McCarthy said. Allmon was between four and 10 feet away from Antonio when the fatal shots were fired.

When Allmon saw Antonio, the boy screamed "Hey!" before being shot six times, in the back, shoulder, side and hand, prosecutors said Saturday.

After Allmon shot Antonio, he got into a getaway vehicle driven by Baker and told him, "I just hit a shorty. I just hit a shorty," prosecutors said.

Allmon went to Denard's house where he changed his shirt and rinsed his hands in urine to clean off the gun residue, prosecuors said.

After Allmon's arrest, he allegedly told police where he tossed the gun, which was recovered on Thursday.

McCarthy said Allmon had gotten out of jail earlier in August after serving 18 months for possession of a loaded weapon. Allmon was arrested in 2012, pleaded guilty in March 2013 and was sentenced to 3 1/2 half years in prison. He was released on parole in August.

“Unfortunately this tragic murder is yet one more example of the strife being caused by gangs and guns in our community. But The real kicker to this entire case is that it didn’t have to happen,” McCarthy said. “He should not have been on the street to commit this murder.”

Williams was arrested Wednesday when police spotted him with a loaded gun. The other men were arrested Thursday.

The .380-caliber handgun used to kill Antonio was found Thursday in a nearby sewer, McCarthy said. He said the gun has been used in two shootings this year -- including a murder still under investigation.

“Chicago’s murder problem is a gun problem,” McCarthy said. “Something has to happen. It’s too easy to obtain a firearm.”

McCarthy credited investigators and community members in finding the suspects, some of which were known within the neighborhood by nicknames.

“When this murder first occurred investigators initially had very little to work with, but the nature of this murder, that a 9-year-old boy could be gunned down in cold blood, outraged both the community and our residents,” McCarthy said. “The community refused to stay silent and provided us with information that culminated in the arrest of these three offenders, all of whom are documented gang members.”

Jabari Williams / Photo from Chicago Police

Michael Baker / Photo from Chicago Police

McCarthy said there is no evidence Antonio or anyone in his family had any gang affiliation.

Antonio’s mother, Brandi Murry, said the boy had run out of their new aparmtent in the 1100 block of East 73rd Street because he was upset after she told him he couldn't have a cupcake.

Twenty minutes later, Chicago Police found Antonio behind a home in the 1200 block of East 71st Street. He had been shot multiple times and later died at Comer Children’s Hospital.

The four suspects will appear for a bond hearing on Saturday.

PHOTO GALLERY: Antonio Smith, 9, laid to rest

Michael Lansu — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 15:24:03 -0500

PHOTOS BY ALEX WROBLEWSKI
For Chicago Sun-Times

Antonio Smith, 9, was fatally shot Aug. 20 in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood after he ran out of the family apartment when he was denied a cupcake, his mother said. The boy was laid to rest on Saturday.

Services set for 9-year-old killed last week in Grand Crossing

Michael Lansu — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 15:00:21 -0500

Antonio Smith / Family photo

BY JON SEIDEL
Chicago Sun-Times

Funeral arrangements have been set for a 9-year-old boy found fatally shot last week in the Grand Crossing neighborhood.

Chicago Police found Antonio Smith, who had been shot multiple times, behind a home Wednesday in the 1200 block of East 71st Street. He was later pronounced dead at University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Smith’s visitation has been set for 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at Calahan Funeral Home at 7030 S. Halsted St. Another visitation has also been scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, to be followed by his funeral at 11 a.m. Saturday at Evening Star Baptist Church at 2050 W. 59th St.

No suspects have been taken into custody in connection with the boy’s death, according to Chicago Police.

The Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Parish, announced a reward last week for information leading to the arrest of the boy’s killer; donations have pushed the total reward $13,500.

WEEK IN REVIEW: 12 killed in Chicago shootings

Michael Lansu — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 10:02:55 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Twelve people were killed in shootings throughout Chicago last week.

Five of the killings happened over the weekend, when 42 other people were wounded by gunfire, authorities said.

Overall, three of the 12 victims were boys 14 years old or younger.

The most recent murder happened when 14-year-old Marcus McCarty was shot in the 1100 block of North Leclaire Avenue in the Austin community at 2:52 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

McCarty, of the 1000 block of North Leclaire Avenue, died about an hour later at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In the Little Village community, 16-year-old Victor Martinon was shot while talking with friends in the 2200 block of South Marshall Boulevard about 6 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Martinon, of the 2300 block of South Trumbull Avenue, was struck twice in the chest and died at Mount Sinai Hospital about 30 minutes later, authorities said.

In the Back of the Yards neighborhood, 40-year-old Quentin Graham, of the 700 block of West 50th Place, was fatally shot in the 800 block of West 50th Place about 2:45 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

In the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, 30-year-old James McCoy was shot inside a lounge in the 8300 block of South Halsted Street, authorities said.

McCoy, 30, from downstate Peoria, was shot in the chest and died about an hour later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, authorities said. Three other men were wounded in the shooting, police said.

In the Austin neighborhood, 33-year-old Andre Byrd, of the 200 block of North Kolin Avenue, was killed when gunfire erupted at a backyard party in the 5000 block of West Potomac Avenue about 2 a.m. Sunday, authorities said. Two other men, 35 and 36, were also wounded in the shooting, police said.

On Thursday, 52-year-old Michael Clark, of the 7200 block of South Paulina Street, was fatally shot in the 7200 block of South Winchester Avenue in the West Englewood neighborhood about 11:25 p.m. Thursday, authorities said. A 23-year-old man was also wounded in the shooting, police said.

In the Riverdale community, 21-year-old Jadon Johnson was shot while sitting in a parked vehile in the 13300 block of South Indiana Avenue about 12:10 a.m. Thursday, authorities said.

A relative drove Johnson, of the 700 block of East 89th Place, to Roseland Community Hospital, where he died a short time later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Wednesday, 9-year-old Antonio Smith was shot in the back yard of an apartment building in the 1200 block of East 71st Street in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood about 4:05 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

Antonio had ran out of his family’s apartment in the 1100 block of East 73rd Street after being told he couldn't have a cupcake, his mother said.

On Tuesday, 19-year-old Dorval Jenkins was shot in the 9900 block of South Calhoun Avenue in the South Deering community when the gunfire erupted about 10:15 p.m., authorities said.

Jenkins, of the 9700 block of South Calhoun Avenue, was shot multiple times and died at Christ Medical Center about an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office. An 18-year-old man was also shot in the arm and a 17-year-old girl was shot in the leg, police said.

In Bridgeport, 84-year-old Chen Su allegedly fatally shot his wife Hsin Su, 84, during what police called a “domestic-related murder-suicide” in the 900 block of West 31st Place about 9 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said.

On Monday, police found 27-year-old Seadl Commings shot in the street in the 800 block of South Central Park Avenue about 11:35 p.m., authorities said.

Commings, of the 3600 block of West Polk Street, was shot in the chest and died at Mount Sinai Hospital less than an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The slayings started when 20-year-old Joel Wade, of the 7300 block of South Emerald Avenue, was killed in a drive-by shooting while standing on a sidewalk in the 7800 block of South Winchester Avenue about 10:25 p.m. Monday, authorities said. A 26-year-old man and a teenage boy were also wounded.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 270 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including 11 people killed by police.

Chicago Police, which counts murders different, have ruled some of those homicides as involuntary manslaughter, justified self-defense or accidents.

Comment of the Day: "He always asked me if I needed help and especially with taking my garbage out"

Michael Lansu — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 16:02:48 -0500

Antonio Smith, 9, was fatally shot Wednesday night in the Greater Grand Crossing community. Reader Kina Ward posted this about him:

This is such a tragedy. Antonio Smith was a sweet young man with a great spirit. He always asked me if I needed help and especially with taking my garbage out. His demeanor was always pleasant. I'm just so sick and tired of hearing about all of this nonsense day end and day out. His character and what happened to him is just not lining up.

Antonio Smith, 9, killed in Greater Grand Crossing shooting

Michael Lansu — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 09:04:16 -0500

Antonio Smith / Photo from NBC5 Chicago

BY JON SEIDEL AND MITCH DUDEK
Chicago Sun-Times

Antonio Smith wanted a cupcake.

He’d called his mom while she was on her way home from work, asking to have one.

She said no.

So the 9-year-old ran out of his family’s apartment in the 1100 block of East 73rd Street.

About half an hour later, he was on the way to the hospital, where he would die.

Chicago Police responding to a report of shots fired at 4:05 p.m. Wednesday found Antonio in the back yard of an apartment building in the 1200 block of East 71st Street in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood.

“He got mad because I didn’t give him what he wanted,” a somber Brandi Murry said Thursday afternoon, recounting what she knew of her son’s death.

After Antonio fled the apartment, his 12-year-old brother gave chase. But he wasn’t wearing shoes, and he quickly lost him, Murry said.

He returned to the apartment and called his mother about 3:45 p.m. Wednesday to tell her Antonio had run off, Murry said. She was nearby, so she looked, too.

When she couldn’t find him, she said, she called the police. That call was made at 4:08 p.m. Wednesday.

Five minutes later, the police were at her door, telling her she needed to get to the hospital.

Antonio was pronounced dead at Comer Children’s Hospital at 5:13 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

He had been shot multiple times, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

“I just want whoever did it to turn themselves in, because he was a 9-year-old innocent baby and he didn’t deserve that,” the victim’s cousin, Rasheda Eggleston, told NBC Chicago.

“He was just a child, just a baby, had a whole life ahead of him,” another cousin, Kenya Eggleston, said.

Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina parish, urged people to gather for a prayer rally at 6 p.m. Thursday in the 1200 block of East 71st.

Pfleger said a $5,000 reward will be offered for information leading to the arrest of Smith’s killer.

The boy’s slaying “can’t be tolerated,” Pfleger said.

“Especially a 9-year-old child,” he said. “It’s just ridiculous.”

Cynthia Smith-Thigpen, who lives in the 1200 block of East 71st Street, said the 9-year-old boy was found on a concrete slab behind her home.

She said she didn’t know he was there until police came to her home. She said she was distracted by the TV and her two grandchildren, ages 2 and 6.

“It’s frightening to know that these things are happening around your house,” Smith-Thigpen said.

Smith-Thigpen said her 6-year-old has been asking to ride his bike behind her house. And she said her 86-year-old mother parks her car there.

“I’m glad I didn’t send my 6-year-old grandson out to empty the garbage,” Smith-Thigpen said. “He has a bike that he wants to ride outside. We bought it for him, but now we don’t even let him go outside because of all this shooting.”

Rosetta Jordan, 81, who lives on the block, said her son, Eddie Jordan, 45, heard gunshots. Before going out to investigate, he ordered his 9-year-old son to the basement where he would be safe from stray gunfire.

She said her son found a “neatly dressed” boy lying in the backyard of a neighboring apartment building.

“I’m still shaking,” Rosetta Jordan said Wednesday evening. “It’s just so sad.”

As Jordan stood at her front door, several police cars, with lights and sirens activated, rocketed past her home on three separate occasions.