Artivis Gladney | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: At least 12 more people killed in Chicago violence as year's homicide total nears 400

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 16:00:45 -0500

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Sun-Times file photo

The year is just past the halfway point, and if the number of homicides in Chicago continues at the current pace, it will reach a total not seen in 25 years. At least 12 more people were killed in Chicago last week, brining the total to more than 375 for the year.

Unofficially, there have been 378 homicides in the city, according to statistics compiled by the Chicago Sun-Times Wire. If that pace continues, the year's total could top 700 for the first time since the mid-1990s.

Last week was capped by a weekend in which more than 40 people were shot, five of them fatally.

The week's final homicide was a 19-year-old man shot to death in the Brighton Park neighborhood Sunday afternoon. It happened about 3:30 p.m. in the 3900 block of South Kedzie. Gregory Chacon suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and arm, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
An uncooperative witness told investigators a newer-model black vehicle approached Chacon and someone inside fired numerous shots, police said. The vehicle then took off northbound after the shooting.
A 20-year-old man was shot to death early Sunday while driving in the West Elsdon neighborhood. About 2:10 a.m., Jesus Martinez Jr. was at the wheel of a vehicle going west on 55th Street when a black car pulled alongside at a stop sign at Kostner Avenue, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Someone inside the other car pulled out a gun and opened fire, striking him in the back, police said. Martinez was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead about five hours later.
A 25-year-old man was shot to death Saturday afternoon in the Roseland neighborhood. About 1:35 p.m., Deandre Gray was sitting in a car parked in the 10400 block of South Wentworth when someone walked up and shot him in the head, according to authorities. Gray was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died two hours later, authorities said. The shooting happened about three blocks from his home.
A west suburban man died Saturday, five days after he was shot in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. Roberto Ortiz, 20, was outside in the 4400 block of South Wolcott about 8:50 p.m. July 18 when a male got out of a black sedan and shot him in the head, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Ortiz, of the 2600 block of South 60th Court in Cicero, was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died at early Saturday, authorities said.
A 20-year-old northwest Indiana man was found shot to death Friday in the Roseland neighborhood. Officers responding to a call of a person down about 6:15 p.m. found Tabari Freeman unresponsive in the backyard of a home in the 10700 block of South Edbrooke, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Freeman had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. He lived in Merrillville, Indiana.
A man was shot and killed in the Englewood neighborhood Friday afternoon, according to police. Ernest Hudson, 18, was shot in the head about 4:30 p.m. in the 6400 block of South Lowe. He was taken to St. Bernard Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A 29-year-old North Side man was shot to death in the Jackson Park Highlands neighborhood Thursday night. About 9:15 p.m., Andre Wells was walking in the 6700 block of South Chappel when someone walked up and shot him in the chest, according to authorities. Wells was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he died.
A man died Thursday morning, one day after he was shot in the head in the Rogers Park neighborhood. At 12:24 a.m. Wednesday, 26-year-old Kyara Newell was the passenger in a vehicle driving south in the 2300 block of West Arthur when two males on the sidewalk nearby opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Newell was shot in the head and was taken to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he died at 11:15 a.m. Thursday, authorities said. Police said 40-year-old James Bryant was apprehended “moments after the shooting,” and identified as the shooter. He was charged with first-degree murder and was ordered held on a $1 million bond.
A man was fatally shot less than a block from his home in the South Shore neighborhood Tuesday evening. Anthony J. Nicholas, 38, was standing outside about 6:40 p.m. in the 6700 block of South East End when another male walked up and opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He lived in the same block.
Nicholas was shot in the chest and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead an hour later, authorities said. Andrew Smith, 33, of the 7900 block of Ogden Avenue in Lyons, was charged Thursday with one count each of first-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, police said. He was already wanted on a warrant for failure to appear in court, police said.
Kashawn Johnson was shot to death Monday night in Englewood. Officers responding at 11:48 p.m. to a call of a person shot in the 6300 block of South Parnell found the 24-year-old Johnson lying in the street with a gunshot wound to the head, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Johnson was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead three hours later.
A teenager was fatally shot Monday night in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. Officers responding about 9:25 p.m. to a call of a person shot in the 4400 block of West West End found 17-year-old Darrell Peden lying in the street with gunshot wounds to the torso, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. The boy was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
A man who was shot at a party in Austin late Sunday died early Monday morning. A second man was also wounded in the shooting. The men, 18 and 33, were at a house party about 11:50 p.m. in the 5000 block of West Jackson when shots rang out, according to police.
The younger man, identified as Artivis Gladney, was shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the medical examiner's office. He lived on the same block as the shooting.

The older man suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and right leg, and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized. He was not cooperating with investigators, police said.
The week's homicide total could rise, pending results of an investigation and further testing for a woman found dead in a vacant lot in the West Pullman neighborhood early Friday, according to police. At 5:25 a.m., officers called for a well-being check found the woman unresponsive in the lot in the 300 block of East 120th Place.
She was dead at the scene, police said. Police said she was an adult, but her exact age and the nature of her death weren’t immediately known. Area South detectives have launched a death investigation. The medical examiner's office said autopsy results were pending further investigation.

Man charged with fatal shooting of Artivis Gladney, wounding of second man during house party in Austin

Jeff Mayes — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 10:11:02 -0500

A man has been charged with killing Artivis Gladney and wounding another man at an Austin neighborhood house party late Sunday.

Eric Black | Chicago Police

Eric Black, 33, faces one count each of murder, attempted murder and unlawful use of a weapon for the 11:50 p.m. shooting in the 5000 block of West Jackson, according to Chicago Police.

Black walked up to two men and shot each of them multiple times, police allege.

The 18-year-old Gladney was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:23 a.m. Monday, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived on the same block as the shooting.

The older man, who was 33, was taken in serious condition to Stroger Hospital with gunshot wounds to the chest and right leg. He wasn’t cooperating with investigators, police said.

Police investigate the scene of the homicide early Monday in the Austin neighborhood. | Daniel Brown/Sun-Times

A woman at the crime scene who identified herself as the aunt of both victims said Gladney worked for a steel mill. “He’s a church-going person and a hard-working young man,” said the woman, who declined to give her name.

Black, of the 5300 block of South Michigan, was arrested nearby shortly after the attack, and a gun was recovered, police said Tuesday.

He faces an additional felony charge as an armed habitual criminal due to a previous weapon conviction, police said.

He was ordered held on a $1 million bond Wednesday, and is next scheduled to appear in court Aug. 8, according to Cook County sheriff's records.

--Chicago Sun-Times Wire

WEEK IN REVIEW: Killed in Chicago violence

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 16:00:58 -0500

At least 18 people died in violence in Chicago last week.

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One man was killed and another wounded in an Austin neighborhood shooting late Sunday. The men, ages 18 and 33, were at a house party about 11:50 p.m. in the 5000 block of West Jackson when shots rang out, according to Chicago Police.

The younger man, identified as 18-year-old Aetiris Gladney, was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office. He lived on the same block as the shooting.

The older man suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and right leg, and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized. He was not cooperating with investigators, police said.

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One man was killed and another injured in a shooting Sunday night in the West Side Austin neighborhood. Officers responding to a call of shots fired about 7:40 p.m. in the 500 block of North Lavergne found the men, both 20, with gunshot wounds inside an SUV about four blocks south, in the 100 block of North Lavergne, according to Chicago Police. Police said the driver of the SUV appeared to have run away.

Carlos Harding, of the 4900 block of West Superior, was shot in the head and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. The other man was also taken to Stroger with a gunshot wound to the leg, police said. His condition was stabilized.

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An 18-year-old northwest Indiana man was killed in an Englewood neighborhood shooting Sunday morning. Officers responded at 11:25 a.m. to a shooting in the 5700 block of South Union, where Chureno Gatewood had been shot in the upper chest, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Gatewood was taken to St. Bernard Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said. He lived in the 300 block of Madison Street in Gary, Indiana.

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A 38-year-old man was fatally shot Sunday morning in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. About 4:45 a.m., Raygene Jackson got into a fight with someone who then pulled a gun and shot him in the back of the head in the 4500 block of West Maypole, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Jackson was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died about eight hours later, authorities said. No one was in custody for the shooting.

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One teenager was killed and another wounded in a shooting early Sunday in the Kenwood neighborhood on the South Side. The teens were walking in the alley about 12:50 a.m. in the 4700 block of South Ellis when a red minivan pulled up and someone inside opened fire, according to police.

A 15-year-old boy, identified as Trevon D. Smith, was shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the medical examiner's office. The other boy, 16, suffered a gunshot wound to the left leg and was taken to a hospital in serious condition, police said.

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Rachee Williams was found fatally shot Saturday night in the Grand Boulevard neighborhood. Officers were called about a person on the ground in the 5100 block of South Calumet about 11 p.m. and found the 23-year-old Williams lying in a vacant lot, according to police and the medical examiner's office.

Williams was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner's office. An autopsy found he died of a gunshot wound to the head and his death was ruled a homicide. Police said a weapon was recovered at the scene.

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Loyd Daniel was fatally shot Saturday night in Austin. About 8:45 p.m., the 19-year-old Daniel was driving in the 4900 block of West Augusta when shots rang out and he suffered three gunshot wounds to the shoulder and side, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died about four hours later, authorities said.

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A drunk driver is facing several charges after his passenger was killed in a crash with a U.S. Postal Service truck early Saturday in West Garfield Park. Jimmy Payton, 27, was charged with reckless homicide, two counts of aggravated DUI in an accident causing death, and two counts of aggravated DUI in an accident causing bodily harm, all felonies, according to Chicago Police. He was also charged with one misdemeanor count of DUI and cited for disobeying a red light.

The crash happened about 3:20 a.m. in the 3800 block of West Congress when Payton failed to stop his SUV at a red light and collided with the truck, police said. His passenger, 31-year-old Sydni Murray of the 600 block of North George in Bensenville, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the medical examiner's office.

Both drivers were taken to Stroger Hospital, where Payton was listed in critical condition and the postal truck driver’s condition was stabilized, police said. Payton, of the 2900 block of North Ridgeway, was scheduled to appear in bond court Monday.

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Another 19-year-old man was shot to death Friday afternoon, also in Austin. Bryan Cooley was a passenger in a vehicle about 3 p.m. in the 600 block of South Cicero when another vehicle approached, and someone inside opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. The driver took Cooley to Loretto Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:22 p.m., authorities said.

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Sixty-year-old Clarence Jones died Thursday night, more than two weeks after he was shot in Roseland, and two men are in custody for the attack. Jones was in the 11400 block of South Stewart about 2:40 p.m. June 27 when a vehicle approached and someone inside fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

He was shot in the back, and was taken in critical condition to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died Thursday, authorities said. An autopsy showed he died of complications from a gunshot wound to the torso.

Two men were arrested the night of the shooting, police said. Shelby Turner, 22, and Gary Johnson, 21, were initially charged with aggravated battery with a firearm and attempted first-degree murder, police said, but charges may be upgraded. Johnson is being held on $750,000, and Turner was ordered held without bond.

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A 25-year-old man was found dead early Thursday in the East Garfield Park neighborhood, and an autopsy showed he had been shot in the neck. Officers responding to a call of a person down in the 3200 block of West Washington at 1:59 a.m. found Christopher H. Roberson on the sidewalk with trauma to the back of his head, according to police and the medical examiner's office.

Roberson, of the 7700 block of South Lowe, was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy found he died of a gunshot wound to the neck, and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner's office.

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A gas station clerk was shot to death early Thursday outside a Park Manor neighborhood station. The 45-year-old man was arguing with a male about 12:40 a.m. in the Citgo station parking lot in the 6600 block of South State when shots were fired, according to police.

Marwan Mahmoud Sadeq was shot in the head, and was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:01 a.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Another employee of the station said Sadeq had moved to Chicago from Yemen, and had worked at the station for about two months.

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A former Chicago resident who was living in Texas was shot to death Wednesday night in the West Pullman neighborhood. Anthony Thomas, 32, was walking in the 12100 block of South Throop when someone fired at him about 8:30 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner's office. Thomas, of Orange, Texas, was shot in the face and head, and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead.

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Kensuan Ward was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. The 21-year-old was found unresponsive at 3:44 p.m. in the 2600 block of West 64th with a gunshot wound to the chest, according to police. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy showed Ward, who lived about four blocks from the murder scene in the 6400 block of South Campbell, died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the medical examiner’s office.

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Two men were shot to death Tuesday night in Englewood. Officers responding about 10:50 p.m. to a call of a person shot in the 6000 block of South Carpenter found one man lying in the street and another man unresponsive in the driver’s seat of a gray car, according to police. Both men had been shot in the head, and both were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

One of the men was identified as 34-year-old Rodney Wayne Phillips Orr of the 6100 block of South Cottage Grove, according to the medical examiner’s office. The second man was identified as Daniel Watkins, 28, of the 7800 block of South Eberhart. Autopsies showed both died of multiple gunshot wounds.

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A 17-year-old boy was shot to death Tuesday morning in the Morgan Park neighborhood. Officers responding to a call of shots fired at 11:42 a.m. in the 10900 block of South Peoria found James R. Moore with multiple gunshot wounds in the backyard of a home, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Moore was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:06 p.m.

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A 30-year-old man died Monday, a week after he was shot in the Little Village neighborhood. Silvestre Mejia Jr. was driving about 12:45 a.m. July 4 in the 2300 block of South Washtenaw when he was shot in the back of the head, according to police. His vehicle then crashed into two parked vehicles.

Mejia was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, police said. He was pronounced dead at 12:58 p.m. Monday. An autopsy Wednesday showed he died of a gunshot wound to the head.

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A 33-year-old woman was stabbed to death Monday during a domestic-related argument in the Hyde Park neighborhood. Shemeki Heard was stabbed in the neck during an argument with a man in the 5000 block of South East End about 6:10 a.m., according to police. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she later died, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Rickie Ford, 39, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, police said. He suffered lacerations to his hand and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he remains hospitalized, police said. He was ordered held on a $2 million bond.

Aetiris Gladney, 'a church-going person and a hard-working young man', killed in shooting at house party in Austin

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 09:46:02 -0500

By DANIEL BROWN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

An officer fixes the crime scene tape at the scene of a homicide early Monday in the Austin neighborhood. | Daniel Brown/Sun-Times

Artivis Gladney was killed and another man wounded in an Austin neighborhood shooting late Sunday, authorities said.

The men were at a house party about 11:50 p.m. in the 5000 block of West Jackson when shots rang out, according to Chicago Police.

The younger man, identified as the 18-year-old Gladney, was shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at 1:23 a.m. Monday, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived on the same block as the shooting.

The older man, 33, suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and right leg, and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized. He was not cooperating with investigators, police said.

One witness, who preferred to remain anonymous, said he was doing laundry at his mom’s house on the block when he heard shots. He then walked outside and saw the victim lying in a front lawn nearby.

An officer fixes the crime scene tape at the scene of a homicide early Monday in the Austin neighborhood. | Daniel Brown/Sun-Times

Police investigate the scene of the homicide early Monday in the Austin neighborhood. | Daniel Brown/Sun-Times

“He was totally not moving — no movement,” he said.

A woman who identified herself as Gladney’s aunt could be seen standing with a man outside of the crime scene tape at the corner of Jackson and Lavergne. She said she was with her son, a cousin of both shooting victims, and they found out about the shooting when a family member called them. They also asked to remain anonymous.

“This is a high crime area,” the man said. “That’s why we got out of the area.”

The aunt said the 18-year-old, her nephew, worked for a steel mill. “He’s a church-going person and a hard-working young man.”