Man charged with murder for acting as lookout during fatal shooting of Craig Harris on Christmas Eve

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 09:34:45 -0600

By MITCH DUDEK
Chicago Sun-Times

Maurice Pearson | Chicago Police

A 19-year-old man who admitted acting as a lookout for the fatal Christmas Eve shooting of Craig Harris has been charged with first-degree murder.

Maurice Pearson and an accomplice met the 30-yeqard-old Harris at his home on the 7300 block of South Vernon to sell Harris a gun about 5 p.m. Dec. 24, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Molly Donnelly said in court Sunday.

But the sale fell through, and Harris was found a short time later in the gangway next to his home with two bullet wounds to the face and his pockets turned out, missing $200, Donnelly said.

Pearson, of the 8400 block of South Parnell, admitted to police that he acted as the lookout, Donnelly said.

Cook County Judge Laura Sullivan set bond at $1 million for Pearson.

Pearson’s accomplice has not been charged.

WEEK IN REVIEW: 12 die in Chicago violence over Christmas week, two others fatally shot by police

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 16:00:54 -0600

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

At least 12 people died from violence during the Christmas holiday week in Chicago, including two men fatally shot on Christmas Day, and a 21-year-old woman whose body was found in a suitcase in a Far South Side alley.

Chicago police also fatally shot two people while responding to a domestic violence call in the west Side Austin neighborhood, where four of the week's earlier homicides took place.

The body of Dominique Ferguson was found in an alley Sunday in the Roseland neighborhood, according to CHicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

She was found by kids playing in an alley in the 300 block of West 115th Street.

The examiner’s office said results of an autopsy were inconclusive pending further investigation.

A man and a woman were killed in an Englewood neighborhood shooting early Sunday.

Tyree White, 29, and Ashley Eddings, 28, were outside near West 59th Street and South Wentworth Avenue when someone walked up and opened fire about 2:15 a.m., according to police and the pmedical examiner’s office.

White, of the 200 block of East 121st Place, was shot in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Eddings, of southwest suburban Joliet, was shot in the back and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where she died about four hours later, according to the medical examiner's office.

A 37-year-old man was fatally shot late Saturday in Little Village. Jose L. Lopez was sitting outside with other people about 9:50 p.m. in the 2800 block of West 21st Place when an SUV pulled up and someone inside flashed gang signs and opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Lopez was shot in the chest and mouth, and was taken by a friend to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died less than an hour later, authorities said. He lived on the block where he was killed.

http://homicides.suntimes.com/victims/jacquez-price/ was shot to death Saturday night in West Garfield Park. The 28-year-old was found about 7:20 p.m. in the 600 block of South Tripp Avenue with gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Price, of the 4500 block of West Congress, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where died at 7:47 p.m. An autopsy found he died of multiple gunshot wounds.

A south suburban man was shot to death on Christmas Day in Englewood. Officers responding to a call of shots fired at 11:36 a.m. Friday in the 700 block of West 71st Street found 20-year-old Angelo Frazier with multiple gunshot wounds to the thigh, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later, authorities said. Frazier lived in University Park.

Another man was found shot to death Christmas morning in Austin. Kylan D. Collier was shot to death about 8:30 a.m. outside his home, police said.

The 22-year-old was found unresponsive on the stairs of the back porch in the 5500 block of West Monroe, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Collier had been shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Eugene Bailey died after being stabbed in the chest on Christmas Eve in Roseland.

The 42-year-old, who lived in the 1200 block of West 115th Street, was stabbed in the chest around 5:30 p.m. during an altercation in the 300 block of West 111th Place, according to police.

He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition and died there at 7:51 p.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.

Craig Harris also died on Christmas Eve after being shot in the Park Manor neighborhood on the South Side.

A witness told police the 30-year-old went outside about 4:50 p.m. and four males were waiting for him in a gangway in the 7300 block of South Vernon, according to police. The witness heard gunshots, then ran inside to call police.

Harris, who lived on the same block as the shooting, was hit in the temple and pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

A 39-year-old man was shot to death Wednesday evening in his Austin neighborhood home.

At 6:15 p.m., Nathan Smith, of the 1000 block of North Lamon Avenue, was in his home when he began fighting with someone and shots rang out, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Smith was shot multiple times, and was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:35 p.m.

Another man was killed and a woman injured in a shooting Wednesday afternoon in Austin. The shooting happened in the 1100 block of North Leclaire Avenue at 1:45 p.m., according to police.
Christopher Ruffin, 33, of Richton Park was shot multiple times and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 45 minutes later, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

A 55-year-old woman was shot in the finger and was in good condition, police said.

The woman told investigators the shooter was walking eastbound on Leclaire when he walked up to the victim and shot him, then ran northbound, police said. She told officers she witnessed the shooting, but was not with the victim.

The week's first fatal shooting claimed the life of Randy Kimball, who died Monday after he was shot in Austin on Sunday afternoon.

The 24-year-old was discovered with a gunshot wound to the back at 3:55 p.m. Sunday in the 5400 block of West Hirsch, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Kimball, of the 2700 block of West 15th Place, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 12:35 a.m. Monday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Chicago Police fatally shot shot a woman in her 50s and 19-year-old man early Saturday while responding to a domestic disturbance in Austin.

The medical examiner’s Office identified the dead woman as 55-year-old Bettie R. Jones of the 4700 block of W. Erie. Jones’ family said she was 57.

The dead man was identified as Northern Illinois University student Quintonio Legrier. Both were shot about 4:25 a.m. in the building where they lived, according to a statement from police.

“Upon arrival, officers were confronted by a combative subject resulting in the discharging of the officer’s weapon, fatally wounding two individuals,” the statement read.

Jones was pronounced dead at Loretto Hospital at 4:51 a.m., the medical examiner’s office said. Legrier was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital at 5:14 a.m.

Police later described the shooting of Jones as accidental.

Craig Harris fatally shot on Christmas Eve outside his home in Park Manor

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 21:19:55 -0600

Craig Harris was shot to death Thursday afternoon outside his home in the Park Manor neighborhood on the South Side.

A witness told police that the 30-year-old Harris went outside about 4:50 p.m. and four males were waiting for him in a gangway in the 7300 block of South Vernon, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Police said the witness heard gunshots, then ran inside to call police.

Harris, who lived on the same block as the shooting, was hit in the temple and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

--Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Craig Harris | Homicide Watch Chicago

Man charged with murder for acting as lookout during fatal shooting of Craig Harris on Christmas Eve

WEEK IN REVIEW: 12 die in Chicago violence over Christmas week, two others fatally shot by police

Craig Harris fatally shot on Christmas Eve outside his home in Park Manor