Best friends Breyon Cowans and DeShawn Johnson fatally shot while stopped for light in West Garfield Park

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 16 May 2017 11:00:18 -0500

Breyon K. Cowans and DeShawn Johnson were stopped at a traffic light while driving early Sunday in the West Garfield Park neighborhood when someone in another vehicle started shooting, fatally wounding both men.

Cowans, 24; and Johnson, 23--best friends who, according to a friend's Facebook post, were "never seen ... without the other"--were stopped at a light about 2:35 a.m. while driving south on Cicero Avenue at Madison Street. A black Chevrolet pulled up and someone inside opened fire in their direction, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The men were both struck, but turned west on Madison Street before their vehicle struck a building and a disabled person in a wheelchair, police said.

Cowans, of the West Garfield Park neighborhood, suffered gunshot wounds to the back and right arm, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:09 a.m., authorities said.

Johnson, of west suburban Broadview, was also shot, and was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he was pronounced dead at 4 a.m., authorities said.

The man in the wheelchair, whose age was not provided, was taken to Stroger Hospital with injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening, police said.

No one was in custody for the shootings.

--Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Breyon K. Cowans | Homicide Watch Chicago

Best friends Breyon Cowans and DeShawn Johnson fatally shot while stopped for light in West Garfield Park