WEEK IN REVIEW: At least 16 people killed; police investigating two bodies found in burning van

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 16:00:09 -0500

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

At least 16 people died from gunshot wounds in Chicago last week, capped by a bloody Sunday during which five were killed. And the murder total could rise, pending autopsy results on two bodies found inside a burning van on the Southwest Side.

The week's final homicide was a 17-year-old boy shot to death Sunday night in the South Shore neighborhood. Jamel Rollins was standing outside about 10:30 p.m. in the 7800 block of South Cornell when two males walked up and opened fire, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Rollins was shot in the back, and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 90 minutes later, according to the medical examiner’s office. An autopsy found he died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Korry Rogers was shot to death Sunday evening in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. Officers responding at 6:07 p.m. to a call of a person shot in the 5200 block of South Sangamon found the 19-year-old suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the body, according to police. Rogers was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:24 p.m. An autopsy found he died of multiple gunshot wounds.

A man was killed and another seriously wounded in a shooting Sunday evening in Englewood. Robert L. Porter Jr., 45; and a 27-year-old man were unloading boxes in an alley about 5:15 p.m. in the 6700 block of South Green when someone dressed in black walked up and fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Porter suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and chest, and the younger man was shot in the chest, back and wrist, police said. They were both taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. Porter was pronounced dead and the 27-year-old was listed in serious condition.
A 44-year-old man was fatally shot Sunday afternoon in the Back of the Yards neighborhood while driving with his wife to buy groceries. About 4 p.m., Albertano Medrano was driving in the 4500 block of South Hermitage when three people in a white van began to harass him, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Medrano kept driving away, and one of the passengers in the white van opened fire, striking him in the head, neck and back, authorities said. His vehicle then crashed into three other vehicles after he was shot. Medrano was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
One man was killed and another wounded in a shooting early Sunday in the Archer Heights neighborhood. Juan Pita-Rosas, 32, was standing in an alley with a 22-year-old man about 12:10 a.m. in the 4800 block of South Kildare when they heard gunfire and felt pain, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Pita-Rosas was shot in the head and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The younger man suffered gunshot wounds to the arm and chest, and later showed up at Holy Cross Hospital, where he was listed in serious condition, police said.
A man was fatally shot in the Gresham neighborhood Friday morning. At 11:33 a.m., Stephen Toplin, 24, was sitting in front of his residence in the 7600 block of South Damen when someone walked up and began shooting, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Toplin was shot in the back and pronounced dead at the scene.
A man was fatally shot Thursday morning in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. Malik Philpot, 20, was on the street about 10:35 a.m. in the 4200 block of West Washington when a group of people approached and started shooting, according to authorities.
He ran away through a vacant lot and the attackers chased him to the 4200 block of West West End Avenue, where they shot him multiple times, police said. The suspects then drove away, possibly in a van. Philpot was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A southwest suburban man was killed and another man wounded in a shooting Wednesday night in West Lawn. The men, 23 and 24, were in a car heading south from 65th and Karlov at 9:55 p.m. when someone in a black SUV fired multiple shots at them, according to police.
The victims’ car then crashed into the porch of a home in the 4100 block of West Marquette, police said. The 24-year-old, identified as Hani Yousef, was shot in the chest and was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The other man suffered a graze wound to the neck and was in good condition.
A man was shot to death just minutes earlier in the Oakland neighborhood. DeLon Sims, 23, was sitting in a vehicle about 9:16 p.m. in the 4000 block of South Lake Park Avenue, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was talking to someone standing outside the vehicle when that person pulled a handgun and fired. Sims was shot in the upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A man was killed in a shooting in the Marquette Park neighborhood Wednesday afternoon. Brian B. Winters, 33, was standing outside a home at 2:12 p.m. in the 7300 block of South Rockwell when a person walked up and shot him in the head and chest, according to police and the medical examiner's office. Winters, who lived on the same block, was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead an hour later.
A shooting left one man dead and another wounded in the Pilsen neighborhood earlier Wednesday. The men, ages 18 and 20, were standing on the street at 12:49 a.m. near the corner of 18th Place and Throop Street when an SUV pulled up and someone inside opened fire, according to police.
The 20-year-old, identified as Armani Fierro, was shot in the back and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The younger man was also shot in the back and taken to Stroger, where he was listed in serious condition, police said.
A man died Tuesday morning, about eight hours after he was shot the night before in Gresham. Jamarh Carter, 22, was sitting in a vehicle with another person at 8:55 p.m. Monday in the 8000 block of South May. A man got into the back seat and shot him in the back of the head, according to police and the medical examiner's office.
The shooter then tried to drive away in the vehicle, but the other person inside pulled him out and drove Carter to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park. That witness was being uncooperative with investigators, police said. Carter was transferred to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 5:17 a.m. Tuesday.
Elijah Sims, who was to celebrate his 17th birthday on Wednesday, died Tuesday morning after being shot while visiting his old AUstin neighborhood on Monday. Sims and a 15-year-old boy were standing outside at 10:11 p.m. in the 5500 block of West Quincy when they heard gunfire and realized they’d been shot, police said. Both were taken to Stroger Hospital.
Sims, shot in the head, was pronounced dead at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. He was a senior at Oak Park River Forest High School. The younger boy was shot in the back, and his condition was stabilized, police said.
A man was shot to death Monday evening in the North Lawndale neighborhood. Raheem Gray, 34, was in the 3600 block of West 13th Street about 5:15 p.m. when another male walked up and shot him several times before running off, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Gray was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A man died earlier Monday after being shot with two other people on the block where he lived in West Lawn on Sunday evening. The group was outside about 7 p.m. in the 6200 block of South Kenneth when someone walked up and started shooting, according to police.
Roberto Rodriguez Jr., 21, was shot multiple times, and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died at 1:10 a.m. Monday. A 17-year-old boy and 24-year-old man, both shot in the leg, later showed up at Mount Sinai Hospital, where their conditions were stabilized.
A man was taken into custody after a woman was shot to death during a domestic dispute early Monday in the Roseland neighborhood. Officers responding about 12:30 a.m. to a call of a person shot at a home in the 100 block of West 112th Place found 35-year-old Othijah "Otha" Mooney with a gunshot wound to the head, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Mooney, who lived in the home, was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:55 a.m. Terrance Meredith, 43, faces one count of first-degree murder, according to police. He was ordered held without bond.

Two more names might be added to the list of homicide victims last week after they were found dead inside a burning minivan early Friday in South Lawndale.

Chicago Fire Dept. crews discovered the bodies after extinguishing the vehicle fire at 12:24 a.m. in the 3100 block of South Harding. Their names, ages and genders remained unknown as of Tuesday due to the severity of the burns.

“The condition of the remains makes it impossible to immediately confirm the identities of the two individuals,” a medical examiner's spokesman said. Autopsy results as to cause and manner of death were pending investigation by Area Central detectives and the CPD Bomb and Arson Unit.

Juan Pita-Rosas | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: At least 16 people killed; police investigating two bodies found in burning van