Georgina Randell | Homicide Watch Chicago

Ex-boyfriend gets 55 years for fatal shooting of Georgina Randell in front of her children in 2013

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 10:09:42 -0500

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Wynton Collins | Cook County Sheriff's Dept.

A West Side man has been sentenced to 55 years in prison for fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend, Georgina Randall, in front of her two children in 2013 in North Lawndale.

Wynton Collins, 32, was convicted of first-degree murder in May, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

Randell, 31, was sitting on her cousin’s porch with her two children in the 1600 block of South Drake about 5:20 p.m. July 8, 2013, when Collins confronted her and tried to speak to her, prosecutors said.

After Randell refused to speak to him, Collins pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and fired at her in front of the children, ages 4 and 7; and four other relatives, prosecutors said.

Georgina Randell | photo provided

After Collins fired the first two shots, Randell fell to the ground and begged him for her life, prosecutors said. Her children were standing near their mother’s body and also begged Collins to stop shooting.

Randell’s son threw a small toy at Collins to try to stop him from shooting his mother, prosecutors said.

Collins moved closer and shot her several more times, prosecutors said.

Randell was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she died minutes later of multiple gunshot wounds to her left arm, breast and torso, authorities said.

Collins, who also lived in the 1600 block of South Drake, ran from the scene and went to Bellwood, where he confessed to a friend, prosecutors said. The woman called police and he was arrested.

Bellwood police recovered a 9mm handgun, which was later identified as the murder weapon, in the backyard of the friend's home, prosecutors said.

Randell had moved back to her family’s home in North Lawndale just two months before and had planned to return to school to pursue a career in criminal justice, Homicide Watch Chicago previously reported.

Judge Alfredo Maldonado sentenced Collins to 55 years in prison during a hearing Tuesday. He will receive credit for 1,135 days served in the Cook County Jail, and must serve three years of supervised release.

Prosecutors: Child begged man to stop shooting his mother

Sun-Times Media Wire — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 13:15:07 -0500

A West Side man gunned down his girlfriend in front of her 7-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son, who hit the shooter with a toy and begged him to stop firing because he was “hurting” his mother, Cook County prosecutors said.

But Wynton Collins didn’t care, assistant state’s attorney Bridget O’Brien said.

He allegedly pushed past the boy, stood over Georgina Randell’s wounded body and shot her several more times where moments before she had been enjoying the summer weather on her cousin’s porch Monday evening, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

Randell’s daughter later identified 28-year-old Collins as her mother’s killer, O’Brien said in court Wednesday as Collins hung his head down before Cook County Judge Donald Panarese Jr.

Randell’s relatives, as well as neighbors who were coming home from work and tending to their yards in the 1600 block of South Drake Avenue, also witnessed the shooting, which apparently was spurred by Randell’s refusal to go the bank with Collins, O’Brien said.

Collins, a security guard, was initially standing outside Randell’s cousin’s wrought iron fence when he began picking the fight with the 30-year-old woman, O’Brien said.

When Randell said she wouldn’t go to the bank, Collins allegedly reached into his waistband, pulled out a 9mm gun and shot her.

He then re-loaded the weapon and came into the front yard ignoring her son’s pleas, O’Brien said.

Randell suffered five gunshot wounds: two to her left arm, two to her left breast and one to her torso.
Following the shooting, Collins fled to a friend’s house in Bellwood, allegedly telling her he needed a place to hide because he shot his girlfriend.

That friend also saw Collins hide the gun in her backyard, O’Brien said.

Collins was arrested after the woman called police, O’Brien said.

The murder weapon was recovered.

Just two months before, Randell moved back to her family’s Lawndale home and started mapping out plans to pursue a career in criminal justice.

Collins, who also lives in 1600 block of South Drake Avenue with his grandmother, was ordered held without bail Wednesday.

Collins graduated 17th in his class at Orr Academy High School in 2002 and went to Alabama State University for a year before returning to Chicago to pursue his business administration degree at Wright College, according to assistant public defender Julie Koehler.

He currently works as a security guard at World Security Agency, which is contracted by the Chicago Housing Authority, Koehler said.

Officials with World Security Agency could not be immediately reached for comment.
A relative of Collins’ refused comment following Wednesday’s bond hearing.

Wynton Collins

A fresh start for family ends with mom's death in West Side domestic shooting

John Carpenter — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 15:31:12 -0500

By Cat Zakrzewski
Homicide Watch Chicago

Georgina Randell, 30, moved back to her family’s home in Lawndale this past May, with her two young children in tow. She had plans to return to school to study criminal justice.

But before she could even settle into her new home, her boyfriend of one month allegedly shot her to death, steps away from her five-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter.

A woman, who said she was Randell's cousin but asked that her name not be used, said she witnessed the shooting at the family’s home on the 1600 block of S. Drake Ave. She said Randell was standing at the bottom of her front steps, with her children nearby, when the man pulled out a gun and shot Randell multiple times. She died shortly after at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Randell’s cousin said the shooting police described as a "domestic" dispute was not part of a loud or violent argument.

"They said a few words to each other and, basically, he shot her," she said.

Randell grew up in Lawndale, but lived with her mother in Kansas City, Missouri, for more than a decade before returning to her childhood home two months ago.

“She’s very family oriented,” Randell’s cousin said.

On Tuesday, some of Randell’s cousins gathered on the steps of the family home next-door to where Randell lived. As Randell’s son hopped on the steps and her daughter ran around the yard, Shonique Sanders, Randell’s cousin, said she had warned her cousin about her boyfriend. Sanders, 29, said she was with Randell when she met him. She said he constantly called Randell and was often insecure. He often watched her from his house down the street, Sanders said.

“She saw what was going on,” Sanders said. “She was getting herself out of the situation. He wasn’t taking it well.”

Police captured the man hours after the shooting occurred in west suburban Bellwood. Originally, a witness said the man barricaded himself inside a home on South Drake Avenue, but a SWAT team investigation revealed he was not inside the house.

The man had not been charged as of Tuesday.

(Homicide Watch Editor John Carpenter also contributed to this report.)