WEEK IN REVIEW: At least eight killed in violence as homicide total tops 100 in less than two months

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 16:00:56 -0600

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

At least eight people were killed in Chicago violence last week, including a woman shot while sitting in a cab on the South Side, and cab driver killed during an armed robbery on the North Side.

A man and woman killed in separate shootings over the weekend pushed the year’s homicide tally past 100—a mark reached almost two months earlier than in 2015, according to Chicago Sun-Times Wire data. And the 102 killing is almost double the number from a year ago, when January and February combing for 52 homicides.

The city has now recorded at least 102 homicides for the year. Chicago did not record its 100th homicide last year until April 16. The last time there were 100 homicides in the first two months of a year was 1997, when there were 101.

Eric D. Henry Jr. was killed and a woman seriously injured in a shooting Saturday afternoon in Auburn Gresham.

The 26-year-old and a 24-year-old woman were sitting in a vehicle in the 900 block of West 85th Street at 3:47 p.m. when someone walked up to the vehicle and fired shots, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Henry, who lived in the 300 block of Luella Avenue in Calumet City, was shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman suffered gunshot wounds to the jaw and leg and was taken to a hospital in serious condition, police said.

Police say 30-year-old Shari Graham was not the intended target when she was fatally shot late Friday in the Armor Square neighborhood near U.S. Cellular Field.

Graham was sitting in a cab in the 3800 block of South Princeton Avenue around 9:45 p.m. when shots were fired from an unknown location, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Graham, of the 7700 block of South Paulina, was shot in the back, and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where she died about an hour later.

A 16-year-old boy was fatally shot in Austin Wednesday evening, police said. Djuan Williams was walking in the 5300 block of West Huron about 6:12 p.m. when one or more people walked up and shot him in the chest before running off, police and the examiner’s office said.

Williams, who lived in the 4900 block of West Thomas Street, was taken to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, where he later died.

A west suburban man was killed in a drive-by shooting Tuesday afternoon in the South Austin neighborhood on the West Side.

Diamond Garner of Maywood was outside in the 0-100 block of South Leamington about 4 p.m. Tuesday when a vehicle drove by and someone inside fired shots, police said.

He was taken to Stroger Hospital where he died at 6:38 p.m., according to the medical examiner’s office. An autopsy showed he died of a gunshot wound to the head.

Shawndale Neal was found shot to death Wednesday morning in the North Lawndale neighborhood.

The A 39-year-old was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in an alley in the 1500 block of South Lawndale Avenue at 7:35 a.m., according to police.

A 50-year-old homeless man was found beaten and stabbed underneath a viaduct Monday afternoon in the Pilsen neighborhood. Jesus Reyes-Ortiz was found unresponsive under a viaduct in the 1500 block of South Wolcott about 1:30 p.m., according to the medical examiner’s office and police.

Reyes-Ortiz, believed to be homeless, was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy found he died of multiple blunt and sharp force injuries, and his death was ruled a homicide.

A 28-year-old man was killed in a drive-by shooting Monday morning in Englewood. Nicholas Sion Robinson was in the 6400 block of South Eggleston at 9:46 a.m. when shots were fired from a passing vehicle, according to police and the medical examiner's office.

Robinson was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy found he died of multiple gunshot wounds.

About two hours earlier, a cab driver was found shot to death inside his cab in the Lincoln Square neighborhood. Kamil Shamji, 59, was found in his cab with a gunshot wound to the head just before 8 a.m. in the 4400 block of North Leavitt, just behind the Sulzer Regional Library, according to police.

"Kamil Shamji's murder last night reminds us all of the almost constant danger cab drivers put themselves in everyday when they go to work. Serving every corner of Chicago, their visibility allows them to serve residents and visitors, but at the same time, it makes for easy targets," according to the union.

Shamji, of north suburban Skokie, had been a cab driver for 35 years, the last 20 with Flash Cab.

Lamon Weathers, 19, of the 2000 block of West Arthur, was charged Friday with the murder after video surveillance photos, a fingerprint on a pack of cigarettes and witness accounts led police to him. He is being held without bond.

Man fatally shot in South Austin drive-by identified as 23-year-old Diamond Garner of Maywood

Jeff Mayes — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 17:24:36 -0600

A man killed in a drive-by shooting Tuesday afternoon in the South Austin neighborhood on the West Side has been identified as 23-year-old west suburban resident Diamond Garner.

Garner was outside in the 400 block of South Kilpatrick about 4 p.m. Tuesday when a vehicle drove by and someone inside fired shots at him, Chicago Police said.

He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:38 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy showed he died of a gunshot wound to the head.

Garner lived in the 1200 block of South 17th Avenue in Maywood, according to the medical examiner’s office.

--Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Diamond Rashaun Garner | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: At least eight killed in violence as homicide total tops 100 in less than two months

Man fatally shot in South Austin drive-by identified as 23-year-old Diamond Garner of Maywood