Jason Jernigan | Homicide Watch Chicago

Convict charged with killing Jason Jernigan while gunning for another man in romantic dispute

Jeff Mayes — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 14:30:56 -0500

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

In what was supposed to be a retaliatory strike against a romantic rival, a convicted felon accidentally shot Jason Jernigan in 2013, but after admitting the crime to a witness, he is now charged with the cold-case murder.

On Tuesday, Dwayne Anderson, 32, was charged with the murder of Jernigan, 27, after being arrested at Hill Correctional Center in downstate Galesburg, where he is serving a two-year sentence for a drug conviction, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

In the fall of 2013, Anderson was involved in a dispute with a friend of Jernigan “over the affections of a woman,” a statement from prosecutors said.

Dwayne Anderson | Illinois Dept. of Corrections

In September of that year, the two got into at least two fights, the second ending in gunfire that “caused Anderson to collide with a parked car and injure his shoulder while trying to escape,” prosecutors said.

In seeking retaliation, Anderson tried to “ambush” his rival on the night of Nov. 2 in the 3300 block of West Van Buren in Garfield Park.

“According to witnesses, Anderson emerged from a vacant lot and started shooting at the man he believed to be responsible for his earlier injury. While the intended target hid behind an SUV, Jernigan, who had been attempting to flee, was struck multiple times at close range,” prosecutors said.

Jernigan was found in a vacant lot with gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said at the time. Jernigan, of the 3400 block of West Adams, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A female witness flagged down a passing police squad car, but Anderson had already jumped into a waiting vehicle and fled, prosecutors said.

The case remained cold until December 2014 when prosecutors got a break.

“A witness revealed conversations he had with Anderson in which Anderson implicated himself … and acknowledged that he killed Jernigan during a retaliatory strike,” prosecutors said. He also “expressed confidence that he would not be identified as the shooter because he was not known in the area…”

In court on Wednesday, Judge James Brown set bond at $1 million and set a preliminary hearing for July 23.

Comment of the Day: "When does this stop?"

Will Hager — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 16:28:39 -0600

Jason Jernigan was fatally shot in November in the Garfield Park area. Commenter "Ms. Vet" posted this about him:

Its just sad to see all these nice lookin guys go like that, and the women and children also, when does this stop?

WEEK IN REVIEW: 11 murdered throughout city last week

Michael Lansu — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 10:05:08 -0600

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Eleven people were murdered throughout the city last week, and a 12th person died after being shot last August on the South Side.

Despite the violent end to the month, there were fewer murders this October than in October 2011 and 2012. The month also had an eight-day period with only one killing.

November got off to a bloody start with five murders in the first three days.

The most recent murder happened when Lady Diana Sanabria, 31, was found with her throat slashed in her Brighton Park apartment in the 4400 block of South Richmond Street about 7 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Detectives are investigating if the death is domestic-related, police said.

In the Garfield Park neighborhood, Jason Jernigan was found shot in the chest and abdomen area in a vacant lot in the 3300 block of West Van Buren Street about 10:50 p.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Jernigan, 27, of the 3400 block of West Adams Street, was dead on the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Also in Garfield Park, Luis Villasenor was found shot in an alley in the 4300 block of West End Avenue about 5:25 a.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Villasenor, 27, of the 500 block of West 43rd Street, was shot in the chest and arm and died about 45 minutes later at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, authorities said.

About 6:40 p.m. Saturday, 18-year-old Antonio Cooper was found shot in the chest and back on a West Englewood sidewalk in the 6300 block of South Hermitage Avenue, authorities said.

Cooper, of the 1700 block of West 64th Street, died at 7:23 p.m. at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the medical examiner's office. Police said detectives are investigating if the slaying was drug related.

On Friday, Saul Salgado was driving a vehicle that stopped at a red light in the 5600 block of West Fullerton Avenue when another vehicle pulled up and somebody inside opened fire about 4:05 a.m., authorities said.

Salgado, 21, of the 2100 block of North Laramie Avenue, was shot multiple times and died 35 minutes later at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, according to the medical examiner's office.

In the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, 25-year-old Marcus Gaiter was a passenger in a vehicle when he was shot in the 8600 block of South Morgan Street about 9:45 p.m. Thursday, authorities said.

The driver was not wounded and drove Gaiter, of the 800 block of West 86th Place, to Little Company of Mary Hospital and Health Care Centers in Evergreen Park, authorities said. He was declared dead at the hospital at 10:33 p.m. Thursday.

In the West Pullman neighborhood, Bobby Pruitt-Williams was standing in the 12100 block of South Union Avenue when he was shot in the head about 12:10 a.m. Thursday, authorities said.

Pruitt-Williams, 22, of the 500 block of West 125th Street, was dead on the scene when officers arrived, according to the medical examiner's office.

In Logan Square, Sheldon McCraven was shot in the back about 4:35 a.m. Tuesday in the 2600 block of North Sawyer Avenue, authorities said. The shooting happened about a block from the Illinois Centennial Monument and the Logan Square Blue Line stop.

McCraven, 23, who lived on the block, died a short time later at Illinois Masonic Medical Center, the medical examiner's office said.

On Monday, Gregory Daniel was found shot to death in his Austin apartment in the 5300 block of West Adams Street about 9:45 p.m., authorities said. Daniel, 48, had not been in contact with family or friends for days before he was found.

In the North Lawndale neighborhood, Steven Noble, 33, was found shot dead inside a vehicle in the 3300 block of West 16th Street about 2:55 p.m. Monday, authorities said.

In Englewood, police found 54-year-old Todd Coleman dead with multiple gunshot wounds near his home in the 1200 block of West 72nd Place about 5:25 a.m. Monday, authorities said.

Additionally, Lorenzo Feliciano died about 2:45 p.m. Sunday after being shot being shot several times outside his home in the 8500 block of South Oglesby Avenue on Aug. 14, authorities said.

Despite the bloody end to October, murders and shootings were down for the month, police said. There were 33 murders in October 2013, compared to 36 last year and 44 in 2011.

There were only 127 shootings in October -- down significantly from the 210 last year and 232 in 2011.

Jason Jernigan found shot dead on West Side

Michael Lansu — Sun, 03 Nov 2013 16:14:54 -0600

Jason Jernigan was killed in a Garfield Park area shooting Saturday night on the West Side.

Jernigan, 27, was discovered in a vacant lot in the 3300 block of West Van Buren Street about 10:50 p.m. Saturday, authorities said. He was shot in the chest and abdomen area.

A memorial for Jernigan sits by a vacant lot near where he was shot. Teddy bears and red, black and gold balloons are tied to a tree while candles line the ground.

Jason Jernigan Memorial

Jernigan, of the 3400 block of West Adams Street, was pronounced dead on the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Area North detectives are investigating.

-- Sun-Times Media