Darren Ray | Homicide Watch Chicago

Childhood friend remembers Darren Ray as East Garfield Park peacekeeper

Susan Du — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 16:05:12 -0500

BY SUSAN DU
Homicide Watch Chicago

Darren Ray was a conflict mentor and role model to children on his East Garfield Park block, a friend said.

On Saturday, Eugene Andrews allegedly fatally shot Ray, 42, in an alley in the 2900 block of West Flournoy Street, prosecutors said. Now area residents are questioning why one neighbor would kill another.

The father of five was not the first member of his family to murdered. Ray’s brother, Davi,d was shot dead in the neighborhood in the 1990s, said log-time friend Marcus Jenkins.

Jenkins said he grew up with Ray and Andrews and never sensed any conflict between the two men. Ray’s murder was especially shocking because he was well-known in the neighborhood as a beloved conflict mediator, Jenkins said.

“It's a shock to everybody because you’d think that’s the last person who would get killed, and [Andrews] is the last person you’d think would kill him,” Jenkins said. “[Ray] was good people. When all the older people turned their backs for the young people, he always seemed to pop up whenever something’s going on and just alleviate it right then and there.”

Ray was one of eight Chicagoans killed over Easter weekend. He was shot multiple times about 9:30 a.m. in the 2900 block of West Flournoy Street, police said.

Andrews, 37, and Ray hugged just prior to the shooting, prosecutors said. Video surveillance shows Andrews, a registered FBI informant, meeting Ray before pulling a gun and shooting him twice, Assistant State’s Attorney Glen Runk said.

Video captured the killing and showed Ray put his hands up seconds before the shooting, prosecutors said.

Eugene Andrews / Photo from Chicago Police

Jenkins said he was 14 when he first met Ray, who even then exhibited efforts to be a role model for the younger people on the block. He was a big brother, advisor and watchdog, often cautioning kids to stop doing “something they got no business doing,” Jenkins said.

“When you’re supposed to be at school at a certain time, when he sees you leave the school, he’s going to say, ‘Don’t you be thinking about going in and out, don't you know your momma’s gonna beat you?’” Jenkins recalled of Ray’s early years as a neighborhood peacekeeper.

Now, Ray had a reputation as a community resource, quick to lend money to friends, always seen with one of his five children in tow walking around the neighborhood where he grew up.

Since Ray’s his death, Andrews’ family has stayed mostly out of sight despite the interconnectivity of residents on the block, Jenkins said.

“Here everybody knows each other, but I mean don’t nobody really knows what's going on,” Jenkins said. “Both of them are just lost.”

Judge James Brown denied bond for Andrews on Tuesday. He will be back in court May 14.

UPDATE: FBI informant on tape hugging man before shooting him, prosecutors say

Michael Lansu — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 17:21:31 -0500

Eugene Andrews / Photo from Chicago Police

BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

An FBI informant was caught on surveillance video shooting a man he embraced just seconds before he opened fire in an East Garfield Park alley over the weekend, Cook County prosecutors said.

Eugene Andrews, a parolee who is a registered confidential FBI informant on drug cases, was identified as the gunman by his handler — a special FBI agent, Assistant State’s Attorney Glen Runk said.

Andrews, 37, was caught on tape walking up to Darren Ray on Saturday and giving him a hug in the 2900 block of West Flournoy Street, Runk said.

Andrews then drove his car into an alley near the same location while Ray, 42, followed on foot, Runk said.

At some point, Andrews got out of his car, pulled a gun out of his waistband and shot Ray twice, Runk said.

Ray was seen on video putting his hands in the air before the shooting, prosecutors said.

Andrews, who was wearing a hat, dark jacket and jeans, was arrested three hours later roughly a half mile from the shooting, Runk said.

He allegedly was in the same car with distinctive black rims that he was in prior to the murder, Runk said.

News reports over the weekend said the shooting occurred underneath a police blue-light surveillance camera. But it was unclear in court whether that camera captured the video of the shooting.

Eight people were murdered and 37 wounded in shootings in Chicago over the weekend.

Andrews was arrested in 1999 on three counts of attempted murder. He was convicted in 2003 and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was paroled on Dec. 31, 2012.

He also has convictions for illegal weapon possession, drugs and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

Judge James Brown ordered Andrews, of the 2400 block of West Lexington Street, held without bond Tuesday.

Andrews has a tattoo of the Grim Reaper on his lower right arm, a dragon tail on his left arm and a dragon head on his chest, according to a police report.

-- Contributing: Frank Main

Eugene Andrews charged with murder in shooting death of 42-year-old Darren Ray

Michael Lansu — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 16:37:46 -0500

Eugene Andrews / Photo from Chicago Police

Eugene Andrews has been charged for allegedly fatally shooting 42-year-old Darren Ray in an East Garfield Park alley Saturday morning.

Andrews, 37, was charged Monday with one count of first-degree murder, police said. He was also wanted on a warrant.

Officers found Ray shot multiple times in an alley in the 2900 block of West Flournoy Street about 9:30 a.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Ray, of the 3000 block of West Flournoy Street, was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Hospital about an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Andrews, of the 2400 block of West Lexington Street, is expected to appear in bond court Tuesday.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire

Comment of the Day: "He will truly be missed"

Michael Lansu — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 15:55:25 -0500

Darren Ray was fatally shot in an East Garfield Park alley Saturday morning. Reader "marcus" posted this about him:

He will truly be missed he was a very good guy rip big bro love marcus cali love

WEEK IN REVIEW: Nine shot dead throughout the city

Michael Lansu — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 08:46:24 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Nine people were fatally shot throughout the city last week, and a 10th died from injuries suffered in an earlier shooting.

Eight of the murders happened during an especially violent weekend, which saw at least 37 other people wounded by gunfire.

The most recent murders happened when two men were fatally shot Sunday afternoon in the Little Village neighborhood.

Juan Ocon, 32, and Timmy Bermudez, 19, were riding in a Lincoln Navigator when they were shot about 1 p.m. near West 28th Street and South Sawyer Avenue, authorities said.

An orange Hummer blocked the SUV at the intersection then two gunmen exited and fired nearly a dozen shots at the vehicle, police said. Ocon was shot in the head and died at the scene. Bermudez was shot in the chest and died less than 20 minutes later at Mount Sinai Hospital.

In the Garfield Ridge community, A Chicago Police officer and her husband, a Cook County Sheriff’s correctional officer, were found dead in their home in the 5300 block of South Austin Avenue in an apparent murder-suicide, authorities said.

The correctional officer apparently shot his wife before shooting himself, said Cook County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Cara Smith. The bodies were discovered about 5 a.m. Sunday.

The couple has been identified as Javier and Veronica Acevedo, both 50, authorities said. Autopsies are scheduled for later Monday.

On Saturday, the bodies of 18-year-old Anthony Bankhead and 16-year-old Jordan Means were discovered in Bankhead's home in the 8200 block of South Houston Avenue about 10:40 a.m.

Both teens had been shot and were dead on the scene, authorities said.

Means lived nearby in the 8100 block of South Coles Avenue, authorities said. His mother, Camille Cochran, said the shooter and her son had exchanged words on Facebook. Police would not confirm her account.

In East Garfield Park, 42-year-old Darren Ray shot multiple times in an alley in the 2900 block of West Flournoy Street about 9:30 a.m., authorities said.

Ray, of the 3000 block of West Flournoy Street, was declared dead at Mount Sinai Hospital about an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In the West Town community, 19-year-old Nicholas Ramirez was fatally shot in the 1600 block of West Hubbard Street after crashing the vehicle he was driving during a chase about 2:30 a.m. Saturday, authorities said.

After the crash, at least one person in the second vehicle shot Ramirez in the head and legs, authorities said. The second vehicle then fled east on Hubbard Street.

Ramirez, of the 3900 block of South Rockwell Street, was dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Friday, 20-year-old Trevolus Pickett was fatally shot in a gangway in the 5200 block of West Congress Parkway about 11:15 p.m., authorities said.

Pickett, 8300 block of South Dorchester Avenue, was shot in the head and died less than an hour later at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the medical examiner's office.

On Tuesday, 16-year-old Keno Glass was was walking on a sidewalk in the 7600 block of North Ashland Avenue when a gray minivan drove past and someone inside shot him about 2:40 a.m., authorities said.

Glass, of the 3500 block of West Walnut Street, was dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Additionally, 22-year-old Andres Servantes died last Monday from gunshot wounds suffered April 11 in the 8100 block of South Kilpatrick Avenue, authorities said.

Servantes, of the 4000 block of West 58th Place, was sitting in a vehicle when a light-colored van approached and somebody inside opened fire, authorities said. Servantes was shot in the head and shoulders and died three days later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled 95 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including four people killed by police. Additionally, the state’s attorney’s office filed first-degree murder charges against a speeding motorist who killed an off-duty police officer while trying to flee police even though the autopsy ruled the death an accident.

Chicago Police, which counts murders different, have ruled at least five of the homicides as involuntary manslaughter, justified self-defense or accidents.

Darren Ray shot dead in East Garfield Park alley

Michael Lansu — Sat, 19 Apr 2014 19:24:29 -0500

Darren Ray was shot to death in an East Garfield Park alley Saturday morning.

Officers found Ray, 42, shot multiple times in an alley in the 2900 block of West Flournoy Street about 9:30 a.m., authorities said.

Ray, of the 3000 block of West Flournoy Street, was declared dead at Mount Sinai Hospital about an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Nobody has been charged in the murder.

Area North detectives are investigating.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire