Pair charged with murder of Devon Almon, fatally shot while riding in vehicle on Eisenhower Expressway last fall

Jeff Mayes — Wed, 17 May 2017 16:30:35 -0500

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Terreon Johnson | Cook County Sheriff's Dept.

Two men have been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Devon Almon in the broad daylight last fall on the Eisenhower Expressway on the West Side.

Irell D. Dickens, 29; and Terreon Johnson, 27, each face one count of first-degree murder, Illinois State Police announced Wednesday.

Idrell D. Dickemns | Cook County Sheriff's Dept.

The shooting happened about noon on Sept. 29, 2016 in the eastbound lanes of I-290 at Central Avenue.

Devon Almon, 24, was a passenger in a vehicle driven by a female friend after leaving the Cook County courthouse in Maywood. The vehicle was stopped at a red light when shots rang out, police said.

The driver took Almon to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, where he was pronounced dead at 12:20 p.m., authorities said.

Devon Almon | Facebook

The shooting was witnessed by several people, who provided a description of the vehicle involved and partial registration information, police said.

Investigators identified Johnson, a member of the Traveling Vice Lords, as a suspect in the shooting of Almon, a New Breed gang member, police said.

On Sept. 30, 2016, Johnson was taken into custody and his garage was searched, police said. The vehicle used in the shooting was found, but he was interviewed and released for lack of evidence.

Investigators then learned that Johnson had coordinated a group of associates to find Almon, follow him and kill him, police said. The murder was retaliation for the killing of an associate of Johnson’s, which happened in July 2016 in Chicago.

Two previous attempts had been made on Almon’s life, police said. The first was on July 28, 2016, but it was never reported to police. The second was on Aug. 4, 2016. Almon was followed from the Maywood courthouse to Bolingbrook, and multiple suspects tried to kill him at a drive-through fast-food restaurant.

Investigators learned that Dickens, also a Traveling Vice Lord, was involved in the conspiracy to murder Almon, police said.

Johnson was arrested without incident at his workplace on May 9, police said. Dickens was taken into custody at the Lee County Courthouse in Dixon, where he had a court appearance for an unrelated traffic charge.

Johnson and Dickens appeared in court Thursday, and bond was set for each at $2 million, police said.

“I am extremely proud of the hard work of the ISP investigators,” state police Director Leo Schmitz said in a statement. “If someone shoots a gun on an Illinois expressway, the ISP will use every resource possible to find the offender and bring them to justice.”

Devon Almon killed in second fatal shooting on Eisenhower Expressway in just six hours Thursday morning

Jeff Mayes — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 13:11:41 -0500

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Devon Almon was shot and killed on the inbound Eisenhower Expressway late Thursday morning, the second fatal shooting in just over six hours on the West Side interstate.

Troopers responded to shots fired about 11:50 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of I-290 at Central Avenue, according to Illinois State Police.

A passenger in the vehicle, the 23-year-old Almon, was shot, and the driver took him to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, authorities said.

Almon, whose home address was not immediately known, was pronounced dead at 12:20 p.m., authorities said. The female driver was not wounded.

The ramp from I-290 eastbound to Central Avenue was closed for more than two hours after the shooting, but has since reopened.

It was the second fatal shooting on the expressway in about six hours.

Johnathan Ortiz, 22, was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital after he and his girlfriend were shot while driving on outbound I-290 about 5:30 a.m. The woman was listed in critical condition.

There have been 41 shootings on Chicago-area expressways so far in 2016, police said. Last year, there were 39 all year.

Anyone who witnessed either of the shootings is asked to call state police at (847) 294-4400. Callers can remain anonymous.

Devon Almon | Homicide Watch Chicago

Pair charged with murder of Devon Almon, fatally shot while riding in vehicle on Eisenhower Expressway last fall

Devon Almon killed in second fatal shooting on Eisenhower Expressway in just six hours Thursday morning