Eric Washington | Homicide Watch Chicago

Man charged with fatal shooting of Eric Washington in University Village

Jeff Mayes — Sat, 29 Aug 2015 21:28:10 -0500

A 20-year-old man has been charged with the fatal shooting of Eric Washington earlier this year in University Village on the Near West Side.

Dejon Curtis | Chicago Police

Dejon Curtis faces two counts of murder in addition to charges of aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated battery on an occupied vehicle for the April 29 attack in the 1200 block of West Washburne, according to Chicago Police.

Shortly after noon, the 25-year-old Washington was standing in a parking lot near his home on the block when he was shot in the back and abdomen, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Washington was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m., authorities said.

Curtis, of the 8600 block of South Marshfield, appeared in court Saturday, and was ordered held without bond, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office.

He is due back in court Monday.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Comment of the Day: "He loved to crack jokes and try to dance"

Michael Lansu — Tue, 12 May 2015 16:45:13 -0500

Eric Washington, 25, was fatally shot April 29 in the University Village neighborhood. Reader "prayingforbetter" posted this about him:

R.I.p TRUCKY u will be missed he was such a sweetheart wasn't harm to anyone he loved to crack jokes and try to dance lots of memories I will miss you my friend it won't be the same without you:(

Friend: Slain Eric Washington 'had a one-in-a-million heart'

Michael Lansu — Tue, 05 May 2015 22:51:27 -0500

BY MATT McCALL
Homicide Watch Chicago

When Eric Washington's mother came home with a carload of groceries, he would call over his friends from the neighborhood to help her bring them inside, a friend said.

Washington's mother will have one less helping hand after he was shot to death April 29 near his University Village home.

Washington, 25, was shot multiple times while standing in a parking lot in the 1200 block of West Washburne Avenue, authorities said. He died less than an hour later.

A childhood friend, who gave her name only as Briana, said Washington was her first kiss on the playground and one of her best friends into adulthood.

“He was an angel to me, an angel on Earth,” she said.

Briana, who moved to Houston to escape Chicago's violence, said the last time she saw Washington, they talked about the next time they would party together.

“He had a one-in-a-million heart and a smile that would light up a room."

Nobody has been charged for the killing.

Area Central detectives are investigating.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Ten shot dead throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 04 May 2015 10:02:50 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago

Nine men and a woman were shot to death throughout Chicago last week.

Five of the killings happened over the weekend, when at least 29 other people were wounded by gunfire.

The most recent killing happened when 26-year-old Nyerere Lloyd was shot in the chest while standing on the sidewalk in the 3100 block of West 64th Street in the Marquette Park neighborhood about 12:40 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Lloyd, of the 6600 block of South Troy Street, died at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

On Friday, officers found a 26-year-old man fatally shot in the chest in the 7900 block of South Aberdeen Street in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood about 10 p.m., police said. The medical examiner's office has not yet released his name.

In the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood, 24-year-old Kelvin Davis was standing on a sidewalk in the 1300 block of East 75th Street when a gunman in a passing gray vehicle opened fire about 5:20 p.m. Friday, authorities said.

Davis, of the 7500 block of South Dorchester Avenue, was shot in the chest and neck and taken died at Jackson Park Hospital and Medical Center less than an hour later, authorities said.

In the North Lawndale community, 30-year-old Justin Blanks, of Hebron, Ind., and a 28-year-old man were fatally shot in the head in the 4200 block of West Grenshaw Street about 5 p.m. Friday, police said. The medical examiner's office has not yet released the young man's name.

In the Chatham neighborhood, a friend found 27-year-old Erica D. Blackman and a 42-year-old man shot to death in the 8000 block of South Princeton Avenue about 12:45 a.m. Friday, authorities said.

An autopsy determined Blackman, who lived on the block, was shot in the left arm and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Police said the man died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and detectives are investigating the deaths as a murder-suicide. The medical examiner’s office confirmed his death, but did not release his name.

On Thursday, 27-year-old Boshaun Jackson was driving in the 4800 block of North Lake Shore Drive in Uptown when somebody shot him in the chest about 3:45 a.m., authorities said.

Jackson, of the 4400 block of North Clifton Avenue, took himself to Weiss Memorial Hospital, but was transferred to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he died at 7:34 a.m., authorities said.

On Wednesday, 24-year-old Ismael Lopez was in the 4800 block of South Winchester Avenue in the Back of the Yards neighborhood when a gunman in a passing red truck opened fired about 1:45 p.m., authorities said.

Lopez, 24, of the 1500 block of Elm Street in Berwyn, was shot in the abdomen and died at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County about an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In the University Village neighborhood, 25-year-old Eric Washington was shot multiple times while standing in a parking lot in the 1200 block of West Washburne Avenue about 12:05 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

Washington, who lived on the block, died at Stroger Hospital less than an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The killing started when 30-year-old Ivan S. Kennedy was shot in the 13200 block of South Forrestville Avenue about 3 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said.

Kennedy was outside with a 22-year-old man when a group approached and somebody opened fire, authorities said.

Kennedy, who lived on the block, was shot in the arm, chest and lower back. He took himself to Roseland Community Hospital, where he died less than an hour later. The other man suffered a graze wound to the forehead, authorities said.

Nobody has been charged in any of the killings.

In 2015, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 127 Chicago deaths a homicide, including one person fatally shot by police.

Eric Washington fatally shot in University Village

Michael Lansu — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 20:30:34 -0500

Eric Washington was shot to death near his University Village home Wednesday afternoon.

Washington, 25 was shot in the abdomen and back while standing in a parking lot in the 1200 block of West Washburne Avenue about 12:05 p.m., authorities said.

Washington, who lived on the block, died at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County less than an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Nobody has been charged for the killing.

Area Central detectives are investigating.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire