Deandre Baber | Homicide Watch Chicago

Family: Deandre Baber shot dead helping brother free van from pothole in Auburn Gresham

Michael Lansu — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 19:26:04 -0600

Deandre Baber / Photo from Instagram

BY WILL HAGER
Homicide Watch Chicago

Deandre Baber was trying to free his brother’s van from a pothole when he was fatally shot early Sunday in the Auburn Gresham community, family said.

Baber, 18, was shot in the head about 2:40 a.m. Sunday in the 8000 block of South Elizabeth Street, authorities said. He was declared dead at the scene.

“He was a loving person,” said Baber’s oldest brother, Deonte Travis. “I’ll miss him. He never started no problems.”

Baber had been riding in another brother’s van when the vehicle got stuck in a pothole near South Elizabeth and West 81st streets, Travis said. Another group allegedly approached, yelled gang slogans, broke the windows and robbed the passengers of their personal belongings and took the keys to the van.

Baber and the other passengers returned to his home in the 7300 block of South Winchester Avenue to get another set of keys to the van and another vehicle to try and free it from the pothole, Travis said.

When Baber and others returned to the van, a man with a gun and opened fire -- striking Baber, Travis said.

Brion M. Dowdell, 22, was arrested about 30 minutes later and charged with one count of first-degree murder, police said.

Baber, who had six brothers and three sisters, grew up in the West Englewood neighborhood and attended Bogan High School, Travis said.

Baber enjoyed rap music and was a fan of Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose, Travis said.

Court records indicated Baber had several arrests, but was only sentenced on a trespassing charge after he pleaded guilty in October 2013. He received court supervision.

Travis said his brother did not “get into any trouble and loved being around family,” Travis said.

Relatives said the family lost a cousin to gun violence in 2002 when he was shot about a block away from their home near South Winchester Avenue and West 73rd Street.

Relatives described the area as gang infested, but said the block where the family lives is relatively quiet.

“There’s so much family on the block that we don’t really have problems over here,” Travis said. “If something does happen, it’d be a small argument.”

Dowdell, of the 8300 block of South Justine Avenue in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, is being held without bond, authorities said. Dowdell will be back in court March 24.

Brion Dowdell charged with murder in fatal shooting of Deandre Baber in Auburn Gresham

Michael Lansu — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 10:09:09 -0600

Brion Dowdell / Photo from Chicago Police

Brion M. Dowdell has been charged for allegedly fatally shooting 18-year-old Deandre Baber early Sunday in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood.

Dowdell, 22, of the 8300 block of South Justine Avenue, was charged with one count of first-degree murder, police said.

Baber was on a sidewalk in the 8000 block of South Elizabeth Street when shots were fired from across the street about 2:40 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Baber, of the 7300 block of South Winchester Avenue, was struck in the head and died at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Dowdell was arrested about 30 minutes after the shooting in the 1200 block of West 81st Street, police said.

He is scheduled to appear in court for a bond hearing later Monday.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire

WEEK IN REVIEW: Eight shot dead throughout the city

Michael Lansu — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 09:08:42 -0600

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Eight people were shot to death throughout Chicago last week.

The week started with four consecutive days without a murder, but ended in a flurry of gun violence. Three people were shot dead on Friday, two on Saturday and two more on Sunday.

Seven of the killings happened on the South Side, including two in the Auburn Gresham community.

The most recent murder happened in Auburn Gresham when Brion M. Dowdell allegedly shot 18-year-old Deandre Barber on a sidewalk in the 8000 block of South Elizabeth Street about 2:40 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Baber, of the 7300 block of South Winchester Avenue, was shot in the head and died at the scene, authorities said.

Dowdell was charged with murder and is expected in court later Monday.

In the West Pullman neighborhood, 29-year-old Maurice Coleman was fatally shot while walking with a friend in the 400 block of West 117th Street just after midnight Sunday, authorities said.

Coleman, of the 11000 block of South Lowe Avenue, was shot in the head and chest and died about 20 minutes later at Roseland Community Hospital, authorities said.

On Saturday, 66-year-old Herbert Goode was fatally shot in the chest during an apparent robbery about 2 p.m. in the 2300 block of West 57th Street in the Gage Park neighborhood, authorities said.

Goode died less than an hour later at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In the New City community, 18-year-old Michael Munoz was walking in the 1700 block of West 46th Street when a gunman exited a van and fired at him multiple times about 12:40 p.m. Saturday, authorities said. The shooter then got back into the van, which drove away, police said.

Munoz, of the 6000 block of South Kolmar Avenue, died at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County less than an hour later, according to the medical examiner's office.

About 2:45 p.m. Friday, 53-year-old Cleotha Brooks was found in his home in the 0 to 100 block of East 104th Place with a fatal gunshot wound to the face, authorities said. An autopsy ruled the death a homicide.

In the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, 34-year-old Robert Udrow was shot in the chest and legs just after 9 a.m. Friday in the 8000 block of South Sangamon Street, authorities said.

Udrow, of the 5300 block of North Linder Avenue, died about two hours later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the medical examiner's office.

In the Back of the Yards neighborhood, 46-year-old Theresa Spearman was fatally shot during a domestic dispute that also left her 25-year-old daughter wounded in the 5400 block of South Laflin Avenue about 12:05 a.m. Friday, authorities said.

The daughter got into an argument with her boyfriend, and Spearman attempted to intervene, authorities said. The boyfriend shot both women and fled.

Spearman, also of the 5400 block of South Laflin Street, died at Stroger Hospital, according to the medical examiner's office. The daughter was shot multiple times and was initially taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, police said.

The killings started Thursday afternoon when Alexander Scott allegedly shot Eric Woods inside his West Garfield Park home.

Scott, 29, allegedly confronted Woods inside his home in the 900 block of South Springfield Avenue and shot him in the chest about 4:20 p.m. Thursday, authorities said.

Woods, 25, died at Mount Sinai Hospital less than an hour later, according to the medical examiner's office. Scott, of the 2200 block of North Campbell Avenue, was charged with first-degree murder and ordered held without bond.

Overall, the medical examiner's office has ruled 49 Chicago deaths in 2014 homicides -- including two people killed by police. Chicago Police, which counts murders different, has ruled at least three of those deaths involuntary manslaughter or justified self-defense.

Deandre Baber fatally shot in Auburn Gresham

Michael Lansu — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 12:02:04 -0600

Deandre Baber / Photo from Instagram

Deandre Baber was shot to death early Sunday in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood.

Baber, 18, was on a sidewalk in the 8000 block of South Elizabeth Street when someone fired shots from across the street about 2:40 a.m., authorities said.

Baber, of the 7300 block of South Winchester Avenue, was shot in the head and died at the scene, authorities said..

As news of Baber's death spread, friends and family took to social media to express their condolences:

Can't believe they took my cousin.. RIP BABER !

— LONG LIVE BABER (@OMB_Slim) March 3, 2014

People dying everyday and y'all still taking life for granted ... I don't get it #RIP BABER

— ❤️ FEB 26 ❤️ (@KhyanaS1234) March 4, 2014

Nobody has been charged with the murder.

Area South detectives are investigating.