Kenneth J. Wallace | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: Nine people killed in Chicago gun violence

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 15:32:42 -0500

By JARED LANDSMAN and TRISTAN SIMS
Homicide Watch Chicago

At least nine people were killed in Chicago this week by gun violence, including seven during a bloody weekend in which at least 34 other people were wounded in shootings.

The most recent fatal act of violence was a drive-by shooting that killed 16-year-old David Moreno in the Little Village neighborhood.

At about 7:45 p.m. Sunday, the teen was standing in the 2800 block of South Keeler when a vehicle approached and someone inside opened fire, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Moreno, of the 2700 block of South Lawndale, was shot in the upper body and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said he was 15.

Sunday morning, an 18-year-old man was fatally shot in South Chicago, police said. At 9:13 a.m., officers responding to a call of a person shot in the 8100 block of South Manistee found the man unresponsive on the sidewalk.

Shot in the torso, he was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he later died. His identity had not been released as of Monday afternoon.

Earlier Sunday, Darron Thomas and Kenneth J. Wallace were killed and a woman was injured in a shooting in the West Side Humboldt Park neighborhood.

The three victims were in a southbound car about 2:35 a.m. in the 500 block of North Avers when shots were fired from the sidewalk, police said.

The 32-year-old Thomas and the 35-year-old Wallace were both shot multiple times and died at the scene, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Thomas was driving while Wallace was in the front passenger seat when the bullets were fired. A 26-year-old woman in the backseat suffered a graze wound to the ankle.

Wallace lived in the 4800 block of West Washington, while Thomas lived in the 3300 block of West 61st, the medical examiner’s office said.

On Saturday night, Joshua Moore was killed and another man wounded in a shooting in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side.

About 10:15 p.m., Moore and another man, both 21, were walking in the 1100 block of East 73rd Street when a male exited a black car nearby and opened fire, police said.

Both victims were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, police said. Moore, who was shot multiple times in the chest, was pronounced dead there, according to the medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 6400 block of South Ellis. The other man was shot in the leg. His condition was not released.

Just after midnight Saturday morning, 32-year-old Joseph Campbell was fatally shot in the West Side Austin neighborhood.

About 12:50 a.m., Campbell was walking with another person in the 4900 block of West Hubbard when shots were fired and he was hit in the abdomen and right shoulder, police said.

Campbell, who lived in the 4000 block of West Lexington, was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:50 a.m., the medical examiner’s office said.

On Friday evening, Donell Morrison died after being shot in the back in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side.

About 6:45 p.m., the 17-year-old was shot in the back in the 1200 block of South Kolin, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.Morrison, of the 1300 block of South Kostner, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:04 p.m.

Late Tuesday evening, 26-year-old Cass L. Singleton was shot multiple times while driving in Englewood.

Singleton's vehicle southbound in the 5900 block of South State, when someone opened fire from a red vehicle, alongside several other males standing on the sidewalk around 9:40 p.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Singleton, of the 5000 block of South Aberdeen Street, was pronounced dead at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds, at least one in the head, authorities said.

The week's first fatal shooting was a 36-year-old man shot in the Roger Park neighborhood Monday evening.

About 11 p.m., Kevin Davis was walking on the sidewalk in the 7400 block of North Rogers when several males advanced towards him and opened fire, police said.

Davis was taken to Presence Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.

Video: Community members disturbed in aftermath of Humboldt Park shooting that killed two

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 09:17:03 -0500

Two men were killed and a woman was hurt in a shooting early Sunday in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side, and a video of the aftermath of the event is going viral.

The victims were in a car heading south about 2:35 a.m. in the 500 block of North Avers when shots were fired from the sidewalk, Chicago Police said.

The driver, Darron Thomas, 32; and the front-seat passenger, Kenneth J. Wallace, 35, were shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Wallace lived in the 4800 block of West Washington, and Thomas lived in the 3300 block of West 61st, the medical examiner’s office said.

A 26-year-old woman in the back seat suffered a graze wound to her right ankle and was taken to Norwegian American Hospital, where her condition stabilized.

In a video posted to YouTube, dozens of community members could be seen visibly upset that Chicago Police had removed the car from the crime scene with the bodies of Thomas and Wallace still inside. The video is titled, “So damn disrespectful, this is just not right . . .”

Warning: Video includes raw language:

The crowd can be seen shouting, swearing and aggressively approaching police, prompting one officer to ready his baton and hold it in the air.

The video, by user “Jay Hustle,” has garnered more than 700,000 views on various social media sites, including Facebook.

“They tow the car with a body hanging out of the window,” Hustle can be heard saying. “When did it become procedure to tow a car with a deceased body hanging out of a window with a repo truck? Only in Chicago.”

In response to the video, Chicago Police issued a statement saying certain "unique circumstances" warrant keeping a body inside a vehicle while it is removed from the scene.

“From time to time, depending on the unique circumstances of the death, bodies may be left in vehicles and removed in private area at the ME’S office. This would be done to protect the integrity of the crime scene (the car) while at the same time preserving the dignity of the deceased by handling their bodies in a private area rather than on the street in full view of onlookers.

“CPD is sensitive to the handling of bodies in public, and detective bureau has implemented procedures to minimize any community concerns that may arise from the manner in which crime scenes are processed.”

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Darron Thomas and Kenneth Wallace killed when gunman opens fire on car in Humboldt Park

Jeff Mayes — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 22:23:57 -0500

Darron Thomas and Kenneth J. Wallace were killed and a woman was injured in a shooting early Sunday in the West Side Humboldt Park neighborhood.

The three victims were in a car southbound about 2:35 a.m. in the 500 block of North Avers when shots were fired from the sidewalk, police said.

The driver, 32-year-old Thomas, and the front-seat passenger, 35-year-old Wallace, were both shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Wallace lived in the 4800 block of West Washington, while Thomas lived in the 3300 block of West 61st, the medical examiner’s office said.

A 26-year-old woman in the backseat suffered a graze wound to the right ankle and was taken to Norwegian American Hospital, where her condition stabilized.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire