Demarcus Brandon | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: 10 killed in citywide homicides last week

Michael Lansu — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 08:36:40 -0600

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Nine people were shot to death and one person was fatally stabbed in homicides throughout the city last week.

At least one of the deaths is believed to be domestic in nature, while another was a store owner defending himself against an alleged armed robber, police said.

The most recent killing happened when Kahlin L. Holloway was stabbed to death in a domestic dispute about 5:45 p.m. Sunday in the 9600 block of South Merrion Avenue, authorities said.

Holloway, of the 9600 block of South Euclid Avenue, was driven to Advocate Trinity Hospital, where he died about 45 minutes later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

A female was taken into police custody after the stabbing, police said. The relationship between the two was not immediately known and no charges have been filed as of Monday morning.

In the North Lawndale neighborhood, Louis Berry was found shot to death on a sidewalk in the 4300 block of West Cullerton Street about 7:30 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Barry, of the 3200 block of West Potomac Avenue, was declared dead on the scene about 10 minutes later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Police said there were no reports of shots fired in the area that night.

On Saturday, Deangelo Shelton was killed and another man was seriously wounded in a 1:25 a.m. shooting in the 300 block of North Central Avenue, authorities said.

The two men were standing in the vestibule of an apartment building when a group entered and opened fire, police said. Shelton, 26, of the 3800 block of West Arthington Street, was shot several times in the abdomen area and died at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, according to the medical examiner's office.

The other man, 25, was shot once in the abdomen area and was hospitalized in “guarded” condition, police said.

In the Woodlawn neighborhood, 42-year-old Michael Turner was shot in an alley in the 700 block of East 67th Street about 1:10 a.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Turner, of the 9400 block of South Eberhart Avenue, died at Stroger Hospital about an hour later, authorities said.

On Thursday, 17-year-old Darnell Williams was shot while walking on the sidewalk in the 0-100 block of East 102nd Place about 2:45 p.m., authorities said.

Williams, who lived on the block, died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the medical examiner's office.

In Logan Square, 68-year-old Cayetano Sandoval was shot to death during an attempted robbery in the 1900 block of North Spaulding Avenue about 1:50 a.m. Thursday, authorities said.

Witnesses in a nearby bar told officers that two people tried to rob Sandoval. One of the robbers knocked him to the ground, then the other shot him multiple times, police said.

Sandoval, of the 1600 block of West Ontario Street, was shot as many as five times and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

On Wednesday, Anthony Rivers, 30, was in a vehicle in the 5400 block of South Bishop Street when somebody approached and opened fire about 10:15 p.m., authorities said.

Rivers, of the 800 block of East 87th Street, was shot in the head, back and armpit and died at Stroger Hospital, authorities said.

On Tuesday, a South Side store owner fatally shot 25-year-old Demarcus Brandon when he allegedly tried to rob the business, authorities said. Harvey police suspected Brandon of shooting a police officer in the south suburb in November.

Authorities said Brandon entered the cell phone store in the 1700 block of East 87th Street and tried to rob the business at gunpoint about 6:30 p.m. The store owner, who also had a handgun, fatally shot the would-be robber.

Brandon, of the of 120 block of East 140th Court in Riverdale, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office. The store owner was not injured, police said.

In the Morgan Park neighborhood, 30-year-old Kevin Johnson in the 11200 block of South Ada Street about 4:40 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said. Johnson, of the 100 block of South Ashland Avenue, was shot in the head and died at the scene.

In the South Shore community, Deonte Womack, 21, was shot about 12:20 p.m. Tuesday in the 7100 block of South Paxton Avenue, authorities said. Womack, of the 6900 block of South Paxton Avenue, died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital at 2:52 p.m., according to the medical examiner's office.

A 22-year-old man was also wounded in the shooting and taken to Northwestern Hospital in serious condition, police said.

UPDATE: Alleged robber killed by South Side store owner was suspected of shooting a Harvey cop

Michael Lansu — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 16:17:42 -0600

Demarcus Brandon / Photo from Illinois Department of Corrections

(HARVEY) A parolee shot dead by a South Side store owner during an alleged attempted robbery Tuesday evening was a prime suspect in a shooting that wounded a south suburban Harvey police last month, authorities said.

Harvey detectives were searching for Demarcus Brandon for nearly three weeks after receiving information that he was may have been the gunman who wounded Harvey police Officer Robert Rolfe in November, Harvey police announced Thursday.

On Tuesday, Brandon tried to rob a cell phone store in the 1700 block of East 87th Street at gunpoint, authorities said. The store’s owner, armed with a handgun himself, shot and killed him, authorities said.

Brandon, of the of 120 block of East 140th Court in Riverdale, was pronounced dead at the scene, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

An autopsy determined Brandon died of multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The store owner was not injured, and police say charges are not likely to be filed against him.

Harvey police believe items found at Tuesday’s crime scene, including the gun, are the same used to shoot Rolfe, who was wounded while responding to a Nov. 24 robbery at 159th and Wood street in Harvey.

Police are awaiting the results of a ballistics test to confirm the connection.

Brandon was paroled in July from the Shawnee Correctional Center, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records.

In 2007, he was arrested while fleeing the scene of an armed robbery attempt in Dolton, according to Harvey police. During the chase, he entered Harvey and pointed his gun in the direction of an officer, who shot him in the neck.

Brandon survived the gunshot wound and was convicted of armed robbery, armed violence and unlawful use of a weapon. He was sentenced to concurrent prison terms of three and 13 years, but was paroled in July, according to IDOC records.

Harvey’s mayor said he should never have been paroled.

“While I’m grateful that this nightmare has come to an end, I’m equally outraged concerning our gun laws that allowed this coward to walk the streets early,” Mayor Eric J. Kellogg said in the statement.

“Something must be done. Our residents our unsafe as well as our hard working policemen. I join Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in calling upon the state legislature to work harder in strengthening the current gun laws,” Kellogg said.

Rolfe, a six-year police veteran, has been recovering at home since the shooting.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire

Authorities: Store owner fatally shoots would-be robber Demarcus Brandon on South Side

Michael Lansu — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 09:04:00 -0600

A South Side store owner fatally shot a man who attempted to rob the business Tuesday evening.

Authorities said 25-year-old Demarcus Brandon entered a cell phone store in the 1700 block of East 87th Street and tried to rob the business at gunpoint about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The store owner, who also had a handgun, fatally shot the would-be robber, authorities said.

Brandon, of the of 120 block of East 140th Court in Riverdale, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

The store owner was not injured, police said.

Brandon was paroled from the Shawnee Correctional Center in July for armed robbery, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records.

Brandon had been serving two concurrent sentences of three years and 13 years, according to prison records. He was serving 13 years for armed robbery with a firearm and three years for having a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches or shotgun with a barrel shorter than 18 inches, prison records said.

The store owner has not been charged and is not in custody, police said.

Area South detectives are investigating.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire