Martrell Ross | Homicide Watch Chicago

Arthur Walker charged with murder in shooting death of Martrell Ross outside Bodi nightclub

Michael Lansu — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 17:17:50 -0600

Arthur Walker / Photo from Chicago Police

BY JORDAN OWEN
Sun-Times Media

A fourth person has been charged with murder after prosecutors claim he was part of a group that beat and fatally shot Martrell Ross outside a River North nightclub in August.

Cicero police arrested 23-year-old Arthur Walker Sunday and he was later charged with first-degree murder for his alleged role in the Aug. 3 shooting in the 800 block of North Orleans Street, authorities said.

Prosecutors said Walker was with Javon Almond, Deandre Hughes, and Bianca Young when they left the Bodi nightclub about 3:50 a.m. that day and found Martrell Ross and two acquaintances leaning against the group’s white car.

The nightclub had hosted a Lollapalooza after-party for rapper Nas, authorities said.

Young, 23, initiated an argument between the two groups that escalated into a fight and Ross, 32, got punched and knocked into the middle of the street, prosecutors said.

Almond, 17, Young and Walker fled in the car, but Hughes, 19, continued to taunt the rival group, prosecutors said.

The car came back to pick up Hughes, but instead of getting inside he opened the back door and remained there for a moment. Almond, Hughes and Walker then got out of the car with guns and chased Ross into a nearby alley, prosecutors said.

Walker allegedly fired at Ross until he fell to the ground, prosecutors said. Almond then went up to Ross as he lay in the alley and allegedly shot him numerous times.

Ross, of the 300 block of South Mozart Street, was shot eight times and died at the scene, authorities said.

Ross’ 21-year-old acquaintance ran to help, but Hughes hit him from behind then shot him the back, side, forearm and foot, prosecutors claim.

After the shootings, Young drove the car to a nearby Circle K gas station, where she picked up the three attackers.

The argument and fight were recorded on the club’s surveillance camera, prosecutors said. Police also recovered a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun with Almond’s palm print.

All four suspects were identified in a physical lineup, prosecutors said.

On Tuesday, Judge Peggy Chiampas ordered Walker, of the 100 block of North Mason Avenue, held without bond.

The three other defendants -- Almond, Hughes, and Young -- were arrested in August. Bond was denied for Almond and Hughes, and Young was ordered held on a $1 million bond.

Ross’ uncle, Curtis Gross Sr., said his nephew enjoyed rap music and dancing. Court records indicate Ross was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a 2000 attempted murder conviction and six years in prison for a 2007 drug conspiracy conviction.

-- Contributing: Homicide Watch Chicago

Three charged with murder in shooting death of Martrell Ross outside Bodi nightclub

Michael Lansu — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 15:33:17 -0500

Bianca Young / Photo from Chicago Police

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Three people leaning against a car outside a trendy River North nightclub sparked a dispute that left one of the men dead and another seriously wounded this month, prosecutors said.

Javon Almond, Deandre Hughes, Bianca Young and fourth person left the Bodi nightclub about 3:50 a.m. Aug. 3 and found Martrell Ross and two acquaintances leaning against the group's white car in the 800 block of North Orleans Street, said Assistant State's Attorney Robert Mack.

The nightclub had hosted a Lollapalooza after-party for rapper Nas, authorities said.

Young, 23, initiated an argument between the two groups that escalated into a fight and Ross, 32, got punched and knocked into the middle of the street, Mack said.

Almond, 17, Young and their still uncharged acquaintance fled in the car, but Hughes, 19, continued to taunt the rival group, Mack said.

The car came back to pick up Hughes, but instead of getting inside he opened the back door and remained there for a moment. Almond, Hughes and the acquaintance then go out of the car with guns and chased Ross into a nearby alley, Mack said.

The acquaintance shot Ross until he fell to the ground, Mack said. Almond then went up to the Ross as he lay in the alley and shot him numerous times, Mack said.

Ross, of the 300 block of South Mozart Street, was shot eight times and died at the scene, authorities said.

Ross' 21-year-old acquaintance ran to help, but Hughes hit him from behind then shot him the back, side, forearm and foot, Mack said.

After the shootings, Young drove the car to a nearby Circle K gas station, where she picked up the three attackers, Mack said.

Martrell Ross / Photo from Facebook

Ross' uncle, Curits Gross Sr., said his nephew enjoyed rap music and dancing. Court records indicate Ross was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a 2000 attempted murder conviction and six years in prison for a 2007 drug conspiracy conviction.

The argument and fight were recorded on the club's surveillance camera, Mack said. Police also recovered a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun with Almond's palm print, he added.

The surviving victim identified Hughes in a photo array as the person who shot him and identified Young as being the woman who started the argument, Mack said. A witness also identified all three in a physical lineup.

All three were arrested Saturday, authorities said. Hughes and Young, of the 100 block of North Laporte Avenue, were each charged with murder and attempted murder, police said. Almond, of the 4000 block of West Maypole Avenue, was just charged with murder, authorities said.

Almond admitted guilt to two separate drug charges as a juvenile, Mack said. He lives with his parents and is a student at Manley Career Academy High School, according to a public defender.

Hughes was convinced of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in 2013 and was sentenced to one year in prison, Mack said. Hughes lives with his uncle and cares for his younger brother while working towards getting his GED, the public defender said.

Deandre Hughes / Photo from Chicago Police

Young was wanted on a warrant for a pending 2008 retail theft charge in the north suburbs, Mack said. Young attended Sullivan High School through sophomore year and is currently working for a temp agency while trying to get her GED, said the public defender.

Young has one child and lives with her 82-year-old grandfather, who she cares for, the public defender said.

On Monday, Judge Peggy Chiampas denied bond for Almond and Hughes, and ordered Young $1M bond for the murder and raised her bond on an unrelated retail theft case.

All three will be back in court Sept. 12.

-- Contributing: Brian Slodysko

Comment of the Day: "We went to Simeon together back in the day"

Michael Lansu — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 16:06:15 -0500

Martrell Ross was fatally shot this month outside a River North nightclub. Reader Dedric Wilson posted this about him:

Dam, that was my homie. We went to simeon together back in the day, smdh... R.I.H. Martrell

Martrell Ross, shot dead outside Near North Side nightclub, enjoyed rap music and dancing: uncle

Michael Lansu — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 16:26:04 -0500

Martrell Ross / Photo from Facebook

BY ANGELIQUE WHITE
Homicide Watch Chicago

Martrell Ross enjoyed rap music and dancing, his uncle said.

Ross, 32, was fatally shot about 3:50 a.m. Sunday in an alley in the 800 block of North Orleans Street, authorities said. The shooting happened near nightclubs hosting Lollapalooza afterparties for rappers Nas and Big Boi.

Ross was a polite, good-looking man with a creative mind, said Ross' uncle, Curtis Gross Sr.

“I raised him when he was younger after his father passed," Gross said. "I took him under my wing, he was over my house every weekend and I was like his dad."

Gross said Ross enjoyed rapping and dancing, even though he was not a good dancer when he was younger.

“I thought he was never going to learn how to dance, but he did, and now he’s actually pretty good..better than me even,” Gross said.

Authorities said Ross was killed on the same block as the nightclub Bodi, where rapper Nas was scheduled to host a party at the club following his Saturday Lollapalooza performance, according to the club’s website.

Another Lollapalooza performer, Big Boi of the duo Outkast, also played in the neighborhood Saturday night. He performed at Parliament nightclub near Chicago Avenue and Orleans Street, about a block south of Bodi.

Police said officers were on patrol in the area when they heard gunshots about 3:50 a.m. Sunday. Officers tried to “engage” a man fleeing scene, but failed to stop him, police said. An officer fired his gun at the man, but did not hit him, police said.

Officers found Ross, of the 300 block of South Mozart Street, dead in an alley with a gunshot wound in his abdomen, police said.

Gross believes an altercation with a young woman may have lead to the murder of his nephew.

“He was a likable person who got along with everybody,” Gross said.

However, court records indicate Ross was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a 2000 attempted murder conviction and six years in prison for a 2007 drug conspiracy conviction.

“Martrell might have had some misfortune when he was younger, but he was finally getting on the right track,” Gross said.

Nobody has been charged for the murder. Area Central detectives are investigating.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Eight murdered throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 09:50:46 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Eight people were murdered throughout Chicago last week.

Five of the killings happened over the weekend, when 29 people were shot.

The most recent murder happened when 17-year-old Jerome Harris was shot in the neck in the 1100 block of West 112th Place about 9 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Harris, of the 11000 block of South State Street, was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died about an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In the West Garfield Park neighborhood, 33-year-old Brian Davis was shot in the back in the 4100 block of West Jackson Boulevard about 7:25 p.m. Sunday, authorities said. Davis, of the 200 block of South Central Avenue, died at Mount Sinai Hospital less than an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On the Near North Side, 32-year-old Martrell Ross was fatally shot in the 800 block of North Orleans Street about 3:50 a.m. Sunday, authorities said. Ross, of the 300 block of South Mozart Street, died at the scene, according to the medical examiner's office.

The shooting happened near nightclubs where rappers Nas and Big Boi were holding separate Lollapalooza after parties.

On Friday, 16-year-old Ramon Breceda was shot in the chest in the 2400 block of South Washtenaw Avenue in the Humboldt Park neighborhood about 11:30 p.m., authorities said. Breceda, of the 2700 block of West 23rd Street, died less than an hour later at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, according to the medical examiner's office.

Prosecutors said aspiring Lating Kings Andrew Anania, 18, Ricardo Cortez, 15, and Eduardo Moreno, 15, shot Breceda as part of a gang initiation. All three were charged with first-degree murder.

About the same time in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, 28-year-old Orlando Lomax was stabbed and beaten to death during a fight with four males in the 3900 block of West North Avenue, authorities said.

Lomax, of the 1500 block of North Karlov, died at Mount Sinai Hospital minutes later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

In the South Shore neighborhood, police found 23-year-old Devin Pope fatally shot in the entryway of an apartment in the 6700 block of South Clyde Avenue about 3:40 a.m. Friday, authorities said.

Pope, of the 7200 block of South Paxton Avenue, died at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Thursday, 34-year-old Samuel Walker Sr. was fatally shot in a driveway in the 4100 block of West Crystal Street in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, authorities said.

The killing happened just two days before the funeral for his slain 13-year-old son, Samuel Walker Jr., who was fatally shot a week earlier in the East Garfield Park neighborhood.

The killings started when 49-year-old Alvin Ivy was shot in the 200 block of South Western Avenue about 10 p.m. Tuesday, according to authorities. Police said Ivy and two teenagers were standing outside when a male exited a dark car and opened fire.

Ivy, of the 1300 block of South Kedzie Avenue, was shot in the chest and died at Stroger Hospital a short time later, authorities said. The teenagers, 17 and 18, were each shot in the leg and taken to Stroger Hospital for treatment, police said.

Additionally, 46-year-old Antwan James, of the 8000 block of South Carpenter Street, died Sunday morning after being shot July 21 in an alley in the 1200 block of West 72nd Place, authorities said.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 239 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including nine people killed by police.

Additionally, the state’s attorney’s office filed first-degree murder charges against a speeding motorist who killed an off-duty police officer while trying to flee police even though the autopsy ruled the death an accident.

Chicago Police, which counts murders different, have ruled some of those homicides as involuntary manslaughter, justified self-defense or accidents.

Martrell Ross fatally shot near Lollapalooza aftershows for Nas, Big Boi

Michael Lansu — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 06:27:35 -0500

BY BRIAN SLODYSKO
Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago Police shot at – but did not wound – a man they saw running away from a fatal shooting near a nightclub on the Near North Side early Sunday.

The fatal shooting occurred on the block of nightclub Bodi at 873 N. Orleans St. Rapper Nas was scheduled to host a party at the club following his Saturday Lollapalooza performance, according to the club’s website.

Police said officers were on patrol in the area when they heard gunshots about 3:50 a.m. Officers tried to “engage” a man who was fleeing scene, but failed to stop him, according to a police spokeswoman. An officer fired his gun at the man, but did not hit him, police said.

Martrell Ross, 32, of the 300 block of South Mozart Street, was found dead in a nearby alley with a gunshot wound in his abdomen, authorities said.

A 21-year-old man was also shot in the chest and taken in serious condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, police said.

A spokesman for the Independent Police Review Authority, which investigates police-involved shootings, said the agency is not conducting an investigation of the officer’s use of force because he did not strike the man he fired at.

A representative of the club could not be reached for comment.

From the stage at Lollapalooza, Big Boi had lamented recent violent incidents at Lollapalooza and in the city, declaring:

“I know there’s been some trouble in Chicago — gotta put those guns down and crunk with some herb.”

-- Contributing: Sun-Times Media Wire