Darnell Williams | Homicide Watch Chicago

Grandmother: Slain bucket boy Darnell Williams 'didn't bother nobody'

Michael Lansu — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 14:19:17 -0600

BY ASHLEE REZIN
Sun-Times Media

The grandmother of a 22-year-old man shot to death Sunday afternoon on the South Side said she can’t understand why anyone would do that to her grandson, and that the family can’t afford to give him a burial.

“He was a good young man, he didn’t bother nobody,” said Alberta Williams, 73, the grandmother of Darnell Williams, who was gunned down about 3:10 p.m. Sunday in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood.

Emergency crews found him shot in the back in the 7200 block of South Vincennes Avenue, police said.

Darnell Williams, of the 600 block of West Cermak Road, died about two hours later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy ruled his death a homicide.

“We don’t have insurance,” said Alberta Williams. “We don’t know how we’re going to bury him.”

She said Darnell Williams was a “bucket boy” who hung out near 71st Street and the Dan Ryan Expressway.

“He beat on a white bucket and asked people for money,” Alberta Williams said. “Every time I saw him, that’s what he was doing. He was not gang-banging.”

Police claimed the 22-year-old had documented gang ties.

“I don’t believe that,” Alberta Williams said. “He was too quiet for that.”

She added that Darnell Williams’ mom said “he was just sitting on a porch” at the time of the shooting.

“I don’t believe he was in no gang,” Alberta Williams said.

Police said no one has been charged for the shooting.

She said the last time she spoke with her grandson, he told her he loved her.

“He called me Sunday and said, ‘Grandma, what time are you getting out of church?’ I said, ‘I’ll be home around four,’ and he said he was going to bring me two 2-liters of 7 Up.’”

“I said, ‘That’s good, son. I love you.’ And he said, ‘I love you too, grandma,” Alberta Williams said. “That was the last time I talked to him.”

WEEK IN REVIEW: Six shot dead throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 09:19:07 -0600

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

The city began the week with its longest murder-free stretch of the year, but the week ended with six people dying from gunshot wounds over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Four people were fatally shot on Black Friday -- the busiest shopping day of the year. At least 15 other people were wounded by gunfire over the four-day weekend, police said.

The most recent killing happened when police found 22-year-old Darnell Williams shot in the back in the 7200 block of South Vincennes Avenue in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood about 3:10 p.m., police said.

Williams, of the 600 block of West Cermack Road, died about two hours later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office, which has not yet released his name.

On Friday, 22-year-old Nordstrom employee Nadia Ezaldein was shot inside the store near East Grand and North Michigan Avenues about 8:30 p.m. Friday, authorities said.

Ezaldein's ex-boyfriend, 31-year-old Marcus Dee, walked into the accessories department where Ezaldein was a season worker, the two “exchanged words” then he shot her, authorities say.

Ezaledin, a student at the University of Chicago, died the next day at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, her family said.

In the Little Village neighborhood, 18-year-old Oscar Garcia was standing in the 2500 block of South Central Park Avenue when he was shot in the head about 11 p.m. Friday, authorities said.

Garcia, of the 2800 block of South Millard Avenue, died at the scene, according to the medical examiner's office.

In the Washington Heights community, police found 21-year-old Joshua Rockett shot in the back in the 9000 block of South Laflin Street about 7:35 p.m. Friday, authorities said.

Rockett, of the 9200 block of South Wallace Street, died at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

In the Chicago Lawn community, 15-year-old Jahakel Clark was shot in the head in the 3100 block of West 64th Street about 3:30 p.m. and died at the scene, authorities said. Two other boys, 14 and 16, were wounded but survived, police said.

The killing started when a bullet came through the window of Leroy Stinson's home in the 2100 block of West Garfield Boulevard in the Back of the Yards community and struck him in the head about 10:50 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said.

Stinson, 50, died at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood about 11:50 p.m. Thursday, according to the medical examiner's office.

Stinson was the first person killed in Chicago since early Nov. 22. Based on time of death, it is the longest murder-free stretch in the city this year, just hours longer than a stretch Feb. 15-20.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 405 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including 14 people killed by police.

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

Darnell Williams killed in Greater Grand Crossing shooting

Michael Lansu — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 09:14:45 -0600

Darnell Williams was fatally shot in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood Sunday afternoon.

Williams, 22, was found shot in the back in the 7200 block of South Vincennes Avenue about 3:10 p.m Sunday, authorities said.

Williams, of the 600 block of West Cermak Road, died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn at 5:23 p.m. Sunday, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Nobody has been charged for the murder.

Area South detectives are investigating if the shooting is gang related.