WEEK IN REVIEW: 17 more killed, including baby who died 4 days after her pregnant mother was fatally shot

Jeff Mayes — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 15:07:20 -0500

At least 17 people were killed in violence the week of Sept. 25-Oct. 1., with seven people killed on Friday alone, and a triple homicide that included a pregnant woman and her unborn daughter.

Sun-Times file photo by Ashlee Rezin

The baby girl died Monday, four days after being delivered by her mother, Charnella Lemon, 20, who was fatally shot Friday morning in the Far South Side Fernwood neighborhood, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

She was inside a parked car with 33-year-old Terrence Carter, who was also killed when someone approached the car on foot and opened fire at 7:39 a.m. in a vacant lot in the 400 block of West 102nd Place, police said.

Carter was shot in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. Lemon suffered three gunshot wounds to the chest and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where she was pronounced dead at 8:51 a.m.

Baby Janae Lemon was delivered at Christ and was listed in critical condition until she died Monday at 2:28 p.m., according to the medical examiner’s office. An autopsy showed that a bullet went through her mother's abdomen and struck the then-unborn child in the torso.

In other homicides last week:

A man was illed in a South Shore neighborhood shooting Sunday morning that also left a woman injured. The pair were standing on a sidewalk at 10:27 a.m. in the 2600 block of East 75th Street when another man walked up, pulled out a handgun and fired shots, according to police. Tommie L. Jones, 28, suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head and back, and was pronounced dead at the scene. He lived about 2 miles away in Greater Grand Crossing. The 26-year-old woman was shot in the lower back, and was taken in serious condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

A 22-year-old man was found shot to death early Sunday in the North Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side. Officers responded at 12:18 a.m. to a call of shots fired and found Jose Rico lying face down on the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds to the body in the 5000 block of North Bernard, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Rico was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 49-year-old man was shot to death Friday night in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. Michael Hillard was standing on the sidewalk about 9 p.m. in the 4700 block of West Jackson when someone walked up and shot him in his face, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 27-year-old man was killed in a shooting Friday evening in the Little Village neighborhood on the Southwest Side. About 7:10 p.m., Juan Vargas was in the 4000 block of West 25th Place when someone came up to him and began shooting, police and the medical examiner’s office said. Vargas suffered a gunshot wound to his head and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died less than an hour later, authorities said. He lived in the West Elsdon neighborhood.
A suspect has been released without charges after a Friday morning shooting left a man dead and another critically wounded in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. Two men were arguing with three other people at 9:47 a.m. in the 4500 block of West Jackson when the other group took out guns and started shooting, according to police. David Lucious, 35, was shot in the chest and pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital, the medical examiner’s office said. He lived in the same block as the shooting. A 28-year-old man was also shot in the chest and taken to Stroger, where he was listed in critical condition, police said. Area North detectives had a suspect in custody in connection with the shooting Friday, but that person has since been released without charges, police said Monday.
A 23-year-old Fernwood man died two days after being shot Wednesday in the Far South Side neighborhood where he lived. Melvin Howard Jr. was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn after reports that he was shot in the head at 9:19 p.m. Wednesday in the 10200 block of South State, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He lived less than a mile away. An autopsy performed Saturday found he died of complications from a gunshot wound to the head and his death was ruled a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said. Police could not provide additional information about the shooting.
Bond was denied for a 62-year-old man charged with fatally shooting Gregory Petty early Friday in the Lawndale neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Kenneth Cooper faces a first-degree murder charge in connection with the shooting death of the 34-year-old Petty, police said. Petty, of Humboldt Park, was found shot multiple times on the porch of a home at 2:42 a.m. Friday in the 2200 block of South Kildare, police and the medical examiner’s office said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died less than an hour later. A witness said Petty was shot by a man who barricaded himself inside a home, police said. Following a standoff, Cooper turned himself in to police. Cooper, who lives in the block where the shooting occurred, also faces a charge of unlawful use of a weapon/felon in possession of a weapon for the second time, police said. He was ordered held without bond.
A man was killed and another man, possibly his father, was wounded in a shooting Thursday afternoon in the South Side Chatham neighborhood. Fred Anderson, 22, got into an argument with two people about noon in the 8100 block of South Ellis, police said. One of the people pulled out a gun and fired shots, striking Anderson and a 41-year-old man. Anderson was shot in the abdomen and was pronounced dead at the scene, police and the medical examiner’s office said. An autopsy Friday found he died of multiple gunshot wounds. The older man was shot in the shoulder, police said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. Unconfirmed scanner reports said the victims were father and son.
One man was killed and another seriously wounded in a shooting Wednesday night in the South Deering neighborhood on the Far South Side. An 18-year-old man was sitting in a vehicle with a passenger at 8:09 p.m. in the 2300 block of East 102nd Street, while 20-year-old Marques "Prince" Lewis was walking up to the vehicle, possibly to get inside, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. A silver car drove by eastbound on 102nd Street and someone inside opened fire, striking both Lewis and the 18-year-old in the abdomen, authorities said. Lewis, who lived in the neighborhood, was found in a gangway between buildings and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead. The passenger drove the 18-year-old to Trinity Hospital, where he was listed in serious condition, police said.
A man was fatally shot Tuesday night in the West Pullman neighborhood on the Far South Side. About 8:15 p.m., 44-year-old Tony Goodrich Sr. was in the 12300 block of South Emerald Drive when someone walked up to him, fired shots and ran away, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Goodrich, who lived on the same block as the shooting, was pronounced dead at the scene.
A man was killed and another man wounded Tuesday afternoon in South Shore. The shooting happened at 12:45 p.m. in the 7000 block of South Chappel, according to police. Terry Tyee Mubarak Barry, 21; and a 24-year-old man were both shot in the head, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Barry, of the same neighborhood, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The older man was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, police said.
A man was shot to death early Tuesday during a vigil that brought dozens of people to a block in West Englewood. Officers were called at 2:37 a.m. about a person shot in the 6600 block of South Oakley and arrived to find the man unresponsive on the ground with a gunshot wound to the head, according to police. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Family members identified the victim as 28-year-old Christopher Hardrick, who lived with his grandfather on the block.
A 16-year-old boy was fatally shot Monday night in the Woodlawn neighborhood on the South Side. Officers responded at 9:47 p.m. to a call of shots fired in the 6400 block of South Langley, where they found Michael D. Hickingbottom in an alley with multiple gunshot wounds to his head and body, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Hickingbottom, of West Pullman, was pronounced dead at the scene.
A man was shot to death Monday evening in the West Side Austin neighborhood, police said. Anthony Oliver, 46, was sitting in a vehicle at 8:46 p.m. in the 5100 block of West Concord when someone walked up and opened fire, according to authorities. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the body was pronounced dead at the scene.

--Homicide Watch Chicago

'There’s nothing in these streets but violence': Christopher Hardrick shot to death during West Englewood vigil

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 09:42:54 -0500

By ASHLEE REZIN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Family members and friends watch as Chicago Police investigate in the 6600 block of South Oakley, where a 28-year-old Christopher Hardrick was shot to death early Tuesday. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Christopher Hardrick was shot to death early Tuesday during a vigil that brought dozens of people to a block in the West Englewood neighborhood.

“He was one of the most passive, sweetest people you could meet,” Hardrick's aunt, Tammie Hardrick, 52, said. “He was not a gangbanger, I just think he had the wrong choice of friends.”

Officers were called at 2:37 a.m. about a person shot in the 6600 block of South Oakley and arrived to find the man lying unresponsive on the ground with a gunshot wound to the head, according to Chicago Police. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Family members identified the victim as the 28-year-old Hardrick, who lived with his grandfather on the block.

“I can’t possibly imagine why somebody would shoot Chris,” said Tammie Hardrick, one of more than a dozen people gathered outside the crime scene tape early Tuesday.

Chicago Police investigate after CHristopher Hardrick was shot to death Tuesday morning in West Englewood. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Several people were still wearing black T-shirts from the vigil that had ended hours earlier, reading, “Happy birthday Lolo RIH 9/25.” The vigil, which had a balloon release, was for a 17-year-old boy who fatally shot himself Aug. 15 at a home day care in the 6500 block of South Oakley.

“We were just hanging out, having a party, like people do. But then someone came out of the gangway and started shooting,” said one man at the scene who asked not to be named. “We all ducked and ran. . . . It was crazy.”

The man, who has lived in the neighborhood his whole life, said he heard at least six gunshots.

“It’s like this all the time around here,” the man said. “This is one of the deadliest blocks in Chicago. Shootings like this are ordinary.”

Tammie Hardrick’s husband, Anthony, said he found out about his nephew’s death when he got a phone call from his father early Tuesday. He then called Christopher Hardrick’s mother—Anthony’s sister—from the scene.

“We’ve had death in our family, but not violent death,” said Anthony Hardrick, 54, who has lived two blocks from the crime scene since 1976. He added that Christopher was wearing his custodial work uniform, which helped family members identify him at the scene.

He said his nephew was a nice, easy-going man, who “always had a smile on his face.” They were “shooting the breeze” just two days ago.

“He thought the people he was with tonight were his friends,” Anthony Hardrick said of his nephew. “But there’s nothing in these streets but violence. I would’ve told him to go home.”

Family members and friends watch as Chicago Police investigate the fatal shooting early Tuesday. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Christopher Hardrick | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: 17 more killed, including baby who died 4 days after her pregnant mother was fatally shot

'There’s nothing in these streets but violence': Christopher Hardrick shot to death during West Englewood vigil