David Gonzalez | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: At least 14 die from violence, including young mother left paralyzed by shooting 7 months earlier

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 12:56:10 -0600

By JEFF MAYES
Homicide Watch Chicago

Sun-Times file photo

At least 14 people died from violence in Chicago last week, including a young mother who died from injuries suffered in a shooting last summer near her West Side home that left her paralyzed for the last seven months of her life.

Precious Land, 27, was shot about 8 p.m. May 28 as she drove home in the 3900 block of West Lexington in the Lawndale neighborhood, Chicago Police said at the time.

Land, who lived a block from where she was shot, died at 9:24 p.m. Friday at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

On the night she was killed, the start of Memorial Day weekend, Land had just dropped off her four children at a friend’s home, family members said on Facebook. Just one block west of Land’s home, she suffered a gunshot wound to the neck and was initially taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.

Land, a mother of four, was left in a coma and paralyzed, family and friends said on Facebook. She eventually came out of the coma and was taken home from the hospital, but remained paralyzed until she passed away.

The week's final homicide was a man fatally shot Sunday morning in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. At 5:30 a.m., officers responding to a call of a person down found 26-year-old Timothy Wade unresponsive on the sidewalk in the 2600 block of West Van Buren, according to police. Wade, who lived on the same block, was shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 34-year-old man was fatally shot early Sunday during an argument in Lawndale. Octavius Hudson was arguing with someone who pulled a gun and fired in the 4700 block of West Polk at 1:13 a.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Hudson suffered a gunshot wound to the chest, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.
A west suburban man was shot to death Saturday night in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side. Joseph Chess Jr. was outside about 6:55 p.m. in the 5500 block of West Rice when a vehicle drove by and someone inside fired shots, authorities said. Chess, 26, was shot multiple times and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died, police and the medical examiner’s officer said. He lived in Bellwood.
A northwest suburban man was killed and another man wounded Saturday morning in another Lawndale shooting. At 8:05 a.m., the men were standing in the street in the 1100 block of South Francisco when someone got out of a car and fired multiple shots, according to police. The shooter then got back into the vehicle and drove away. Everick Lamont Dukes, 27, of Elgin was shot in the head and chest, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. A 39-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the back, and was also taken to Mount Sinai, where he was listed in good condition.
A man was killed and a woman critically wounded in a shooting earlier Saturday inside an Englewood neighborhood home on the South Side. About 3:30 a.m., five or six people went into the house in the 6000 block of South Carpenter and opened fire, hitting both victims multiple times, police said. Tyrone Blake, 25, was pronounced dead at the scene, the medical examiner’s office said. The 26-year-old woman was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital.
A man was killed in a shooting Friday night in the Marquette Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Devonta Spraggins, 20, was driving east on 72nd Street about 9:50 p.m. when someone in a westbound Ford Explorer fired shots as the vehicles crossed paths at Washtenaw Avenue, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Spraggins, who lived a block away, was shot in the chest, and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead.
A man died Friday afternoon after being shot in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side. Diamond Woods was outside when he got into an argument about 4 p.m. in the 600 block of North Central, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. At least one person then fired shots, striking him multiple times. Woods, just 10 days after his 21st birthday, was taken to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, where he was pronounced dead.
A man was killed and another wounded in a shooting Thursday night in the Little Village neighborhood on the Southwest Side. The men—34 and 36—were standing on the sidewalk at 9:23 p.m. in the 2700 block of South Homan when a black SUV approached and someone inside fired shots, police said. The younger man, identified as Ramon Valdez, was shot in the chest and back, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The older man was struck in the leg, and was in good condition.
A 35-year-old man died 11 days after being shot in the head on New Year’s Eve in the Gage Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Juan A. Vasquez was driving in the 5600 block of South Albany about 3 a.m. Dec. 31, 2016, when at least one person opened fire and he was hit, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Vasquez managed to keep driving for about six more blocks before his vehicle stalled near his home in the 3100 block of West 53rd Street. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died Jan. 11.
A North Side man who suffered critical injuries when he was shot early Sunday died in a hospital three days later. Officers responded about 1:40 a.m. Jan. 8 to a call of a person shot and found 21-year-old Umair Ullah lying in an alley in the 5600 block of North Western, according to police and the medical examiner's office. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was taken in critical condition to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he died at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday.
A man was killed and four more were wounded in a shooting in the Brighton Park neighborhood Wednesday evening on the Southwest Side, the second shooting in recent weeks committed with an assault rifle, according to police. About 6 p.m., a group of gang members drove into the 4200 block of South Talman and “ambushed” another group before opening fire, according to Ald. Raymond Lopez. The four who were struck tried to flee, but made it only to the parking lot of a vacant business at Archer and Western.David Gonzalez, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office. Two men were taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, with an 18-year-old shot in the back and a 22-year-old shot in the face, according to police and the Chicago Fire Dept. Two more men were taken in good condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, including a 25-year-old shot in the arm and a 21-year-old shot in the finger.
A 26-year-old man was killed in a shooting Monday evening in the Hermosa neighborhood on the Northwest Side. Police responded to a call of a person shot at 7:44 p.m. and found Deontae T. Nichols unresponsive with gunshot wounds to his body and head in the 1600 block of North Keystone, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Nichols was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
One man was killed and another wounded in a shooting Monday morning in West Garfield Park. Three men were in a vehicle heading east in the 4500 block of West Lexington at 9:47 a.m. when a black SUV pulled alongside and the driver started shooting, according to police. A backseat passenger, 21, and a front seat passenger, 23, were both shot in the head, police said. The driver, 26, was not injured, and drove the victims to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park. The younger man, identified as Brandon H. Jones, was pronounced dead , while the older man’s condition was stabilized and he was transferred to Stroger Hospital.

WEEK IN REVIEW: At least 16 people died from gunshot wounds in Chicago during the first full week of 2016

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 16:00:34 -0600

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

The new year got off to a bloody start in Chicago, with at least 16 people, five of them teenagers, killed in shootings across the city last week, including at least four who died in a series of shootings Friday night.

The week ended violently with more than 30 people shot, and seven killed, from Friday night through Sunday.

One man was killed and a woman wounded in a shooting Saturday afternoon in Back of the Yards. Erick L. Lacey and the woman, both 19, were sitting in a vehicle in the 5200 block of South Peoria about 2 p.m. when a car pulled up behind them and someone inside started firing, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Lacey, who lived in the 5100 block of South May Street, was shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. The woman was shot in the back and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where her condition was stabilized.

Two teenage armed robbers were shot to death by a liquor store employee Saturday night in Auburn Gresham. Police responded to a call of an attempted robbery at Z&S Food and Liquor at 1351 W. 87th St. just after 8:30 p.m., authorities said.

Two teenagers had walked into the store about 30 minutes earlier and announced a robbery. When one of them showed a handgun, a male employee took out his own weapon and fatally shot the two would-be robbers, according to police. They were identified as 15-year-old Keshawn Marzette and 17-year-old William Larson, both of the 8300 block of South Throop, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Raymon Blount was killed and four other men wounded in a Lawndale neighborhood shooting Friday night. The group was standing on a sidewalk in the 1500 block of South Kedzie about 8:45 p.m. when shots rang out, according to police.

Blount, 29, was shot in the shoulder and chest, and took himself to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died, police and the medical examiner’s office said. He lived in the 300 block of North Pine.

Two 28-year-old men each were shot in the right thigh went to the same hospital; and a 21-year-old man shot in the left ankle took himself to Saint Anthony. A 26-year-old man suffered a graze wound to the thigh but declined medical attention.

Another man was fatally shot in Belmont Cragin on Friday night. Emergency crews responded about 9:45 p.m. to the shooting in the 4500 block of West Deming, where they found 37-year-old Matthew Ehrenberg unresponsive inside a home with gunshot wounds to the armpit, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Ehrenberg, who lived in the same block, was dead at the scene, authorities said.

A man found shot to death in Chicago Lawn on Friday night was identified as 21-year-old Darius C.E. Brown.

Officers responding to a call of shots fired about 9 p.m. found Brown, who had been shot repeatedly in the head, inside a minivan parked in the 6600 block of South Fairfield, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Brown was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:35 p.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.

Friday's first fatal shooting occurred in Ravenswood, just a few blocks from Mayor Rahm Emanuel's home. One man was killed and two others wounded after an argument broke out about 7:30 p.m. at a party inside an apartment in the 1900 block of West Belle Plaine, according to police.

Pablo Ulloa, 25, pulled out a handgun and shot a 23-year-old man in the neck and another 25-year-old man in the abdomen, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

The second 25-year-old then pulled out a gun and shot Ulloa in the chest, police said. Ulloa, of the 4700 block of North Whipple, was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:53 p.m, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The other two were taken in critical condition to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

A 17-year-old boy was fatally shot Thursday night in a drive-by attack in Brighton Park, and two men were captured and charged with the murder.

Bond was set at $1 million Sunday for Sergio Gonzalez and Jose Juarez, both 20, who opened fire from a white SUV as it passed 17-year-old David Gonzalez on the 3100 block of West 41st Place about 10:30 p.m., according to Cook County prosecutors.

Sergio Gonzalez and Juarez sped off after the shooting, but crashed about two miles away and were taken into custody after a foot chase.

David Gonzalez was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he later died. He lived on the block where the shooting happened, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Erskin Palm was found shot to death Wednesday night in the Princeton Park neighborhood. Police responded about 11:30 p.m. to the 9300 block of South LaSalle, where they found the 31-year-old on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds to the chest, according to police and the medical examiner's office.

Palm, of the 7700 block of South Laflin, was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead about 45 minutes later.

Two South Side teens were killed and a third wounded in a Grand Crossing drive-by shooting Tuesday afternoon. They were standing on a corner in the 7600 block of South Dorchester about 3:30 p.m. when a vehicle pulled up and someone inside started shooting, according to police.

Donta Parker, 16, was shot in the head, and 17-year-old Sakinah Reed was shot twice in the chest. Both were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where they later died, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Another 16-year-old boy shot in the hand was taken to St. Bernard Hospital. His condition stabilized, police said. Parker lived in the 7800 block of South Cregier, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Reed was from the 9000 block of South Burley.

A man was killed in a Brighton Park shooting Tuesday night on the Southwest Side.

Jonathan Jimenez, 25, was getting out of a vehicle in the 4600 block of South Talman about 8:20 p.m. when someone in a passing vehicle shot him in the abdomen, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Jimenez, of the 1900 block of West Cullerton, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died less than an hour later.

A man was killed in a Back of the Yards apartment Tuesday night. Ronald Jerome Clarke, 23, was in an apartment in the 2000 block of West 52nd Place about 8:21 p.m. when he and another person got into a fight, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. The other person shot Clarke in the face.

Clark, of the 2000 block of West 5300 block of South Hoyne, was taken to Stroger Hospital where he was pronounced dead an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

A Pilsen neighborhood drive-by shooting Monday night left Jose Rodriguez dead and another man wounded.

Rodriguez, 33, was standing outside with a 36-year-old man in the 1700 block of South Leavitt about 7:30 p.m. when someone in a passing vehicle opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Both were taken to Stroger Hospital.

Rodriguez was shot in the chest and buttocks, and died at 1:52 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said. He lived in the 2100 block of West 18th Street. The older man was shot in the buttocks and his condition had stabilized.

A 21-year-old man was shot to death Monday morning along a Safe Passage route in Austin. Jeffrey A. Mattix was shot multiple times in the chest just after 8:20 a.m. in the 300 block of North Central Avenue, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Mattix, who lived a block away in the 400 block of North Central, was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he died, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The block where the shooting happened lies on a Safe Passage route for Ellington Elementary School. The shooting happened less than two blocks from the school, and police believe it was gang-related.

The violent week also included the death of Franklin Carlos Aguilar, who died Wednesday, nearly two weeks after being shot on Christmas Day in Back of the Yards.

Two men were sitting in a vehicle in the 4700 block of South Loomis about 2:10 a.m. Dec. 25 when a vehicle pulled alongside and someone shot them, according to police. The 39-year-old Aguilar was shot in the head, and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died Wednesday, authorities said.

Two men charged with murder after 17-year-old David Gonzalez shot down in Brighton Park

Jeff Mayes — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 20:13:41 -0600

Sergio Gonzalez (left), Jose Juarez | Chicago Police

By MITCH DUDEK
Chicago Sun-Times

Bond was set at $1 each million Sunday for fatally shooting 17-year-old David Gonzalez in a Brighton Park neighborhood drive-by shooting late Thursday.

Sergio Gonzalez and Jose Juarez, both 20, opened fire from a white SUV as it passed the boy on the 3100 block of West 41st Place about 10:30 p.m., Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Molly Donnelly said in court.

Gonzalez and Juarez then sped off as the teen lay dying, struck by eight bullets, Donnelly said.

But their vehicle crashed about two miles away as police officers matched the car to an eyewitness description and gave chase. A third person, who was driving the SUV, ran off and escaped.

Gonzalez ran, losing a shoe in the process, Donnelly said. He was arrested by backup officers who arrived on the scene. Officers retraced Gonzalez’s escape route and recovered a 9 mm handgun, Donnelly said.

Juarez, carrying a .40-caliber handgun, also ran. As police pursued and Juarez was running “he extended his arm with the gun back towards the officer,” Donnelly said. The officer fired twice but missed.

Moments later, Juarez dropped his gun—which was recovered and found to be loaded—as the officer caught up and placed him under arrest, authorities said.

David Gonzalez was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he later died. The boy lived on the block where the shooting happened, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Bullet cartridges found in the SUV matched the weapons police recovered, Donnelly said.

Both suspects are charged with first-degree murder. Juarez also faces charges of aggravated assault to a peace officer, unlawful possession of a firearm by a gang member, and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon without a FOID card. They are due back in court Monday.