Prosecutors: Stolen gun was motive in shooting that killed teen

John Carpenter — Fri, 06 Sep 2013 09:04:39 -0500

A South Side man who was hiding in an attic after fatally shooting a teenage boy Monday night fell through the ceiling and was arrested, according to police.
Coleman, 25, of Bellwood, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery/discharge of a firearm, police said. He is expected in bond court Friday.
The shooting happened after a relative of Maurice Knowles stole a gun from Michael O. Johnson, authorities said. That relative was known to visit a home in the 10500 block of South LaSalle Street, where Knowles and a 24-year-old man had been staying with another relative.
Johnson, Ray Coleman and one other man approached the home and opened fire on a group of people on the porch about 5:30 p.m. Monday, authorities said.
Knowles was struck in the back and died about two hours later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.
The 24-year-old, who suffered only a graze wound and declined medical attention, was not cooperative with detectives, police said.
Witnesses “heard a warning” about someone near the gangway and saw a male in a dark hooded sweatshirt point a gun at the porch, according to court documents. Witnesses identified the gunman as “Mike Mike” Johnson, provided his address and identified him in a photo.
The wounded man provided police with a nickname for another of the suspects, according to court documents. Another witness identified the third person when the men were seen fleeing through an alley.
When police arrived at Johnson’s home, he tried to kick out a window, but fell through the ceiling from the attic where he was hiding, according to court documents. Police then searched the home and found a hooded sweatshirt that matched the description given by witnesses, but no gun.
Judge Israel A. Desierto ordered Johnson held on $1.5 million bond Thursday.

South Side man charged with murder in death of Roseland teen

Sun-Times Media Wire — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 20:53:20 -0500

A South Side man has been charged with allegedly murdering a teenage boy in a Monday evening shooting in the Roseland community.
Michael O. Johnson, 23, of the 300 block of West 106th Place, was charged with one count each of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery for discharge of a firearm, police said.
Johnson is accused of killing 16-year-old Maurice Knowles and wounding a 24-year-old man during a 5:30 p.m. shooting Monday at Knowles’ home in the 10500 block of South LaSalle Street, authorities said.
Knowles was declared dead at 7:22 p.m. Monday at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. An autopsy determined he died of a gunshot wound to the back.
The man suffered only a graze wound and he declined medical attention, police said.
Despite the wounded man not cooperating with police, Area South detectives were able to identify Johnson as the alleged shooter, police said.
Johnson is expected to appear in bond court Thursday.

Eight dead, at least 25 wounded in holiday weekend gun violence

John Carpenter — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 07:39:35 -0500

Eight people were killed and at least 25 other people were wounded in shootings across the city since Friday night.

The most recent fatal shooting happened about 8 p.m. Monday in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side.

Officers responded to a call of shots fired in the 5700 block of South Princeton Avenue. There they found 27-year-old Fredrick Brown after he had been shot multiple times in an alley, authorities said. Brown, of the 6300 block of South King Drive, was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County where died at 8:30 p.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

Several hours earlier a 16-year-old boy was shot to death in the Roseland neighborhood.

Maurice Knowles and another man were at the boy’s house in the 10500 block of South LaSalle Street when shots were fired about 5:30 p.m., authorities said.

The teen was shot in the chest and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died at 7:22 p.m. authorities said. A bullet grazed the other man who was with Knowles at the time. The man, believed to be in his 20s, declined medical attention and refused to cooperate with investigators, police said.

Earlier Monday afternoon, 21-year-old Jerome Wood was fatally shot in the South Side Woodlawn neighborhood, less than half an hour before another man was wounded by gunfire about half a mile away.

Wood, of the 5200 block of South Wood Street, was shot in the head about 2:10 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene, in the 6600 block of South Rhodes Avenue, at 2:27 p.m., authorities said.

The burst of Labor Day violence in the Woodlawn neighborhood left residents rattled.

“I was in the house asleep when I heard gunshots. It was a lot of them, like maybe 14,” said Keyshia Wilson, 25, who has lived on the block where the man was killed for eight years.

“I came out and walked over and saw the man laying in the yard with a hole in his head, and blood coming out of everywhere,” she said Sunday afternoon. “I can’t believe this happened a couple of doors down. I’m still in shock. I can’t believe it.”

David Westin, 33, who just moved to the block three months ago, lives directly across from the home where the man was killed.

“My family was inside just trying to enjoy our Labor Day when we heard the gunfire,” Westin said. “I told the kids to duck down on the floor. And a half hour later, I came out and saw the police. I just moved here and I’m about to move again. It’s scary. Thank goodness there were no kids playing outside. I don’t even think I want to let my kids go out anymore.”

After that killing, a man was shot twice in the abdomen about 2:35 p.m. in the 6300 block of South King Drive, police said. His age was not immediately known. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said.

Employees at a McDonald’s at 6355 S. King Drive said an altercation between a group of young men began inside the restaurant, eventually spilling outside, before the man was shot.

“This happens quite a bit around here. You don’t feel safe, and it feels like it isn’t going to get any better,” said a bystander, India Spears, 24, of Parkway Gardens, a low-income housing development across the street.

Both shootings were down the street from the New Beginnings Church, 6620 S. King Dr. Pastor Corey Brooks was just leaving his church when shooting broke out.

“I was riding home, and police cars just started coming from everywhere going to 66th and Rhodes. I followed, and that’s when I witnessed what was going on,” Brooks said. “When I got there, I was like, ‘I know all these kids,’ so I got out and I walked from 66th and Rhodes back to Parkway Gardens with them. And as we’re walking and talking, somebody else got shot over here, a second one. Not a good day.”

About 11:30 p.m. Sunday, John Wallace, 25, was killed in the Englewood neighborhood. He was shot in the back during an argument about 11:30 p.m. in the 6400 block of South Morgan, authorities said.

Ramaine Hill, 22, died Sunday night, a day after he was shot in the Old Town neighborhood. He was in the 1200 block of North Orleans Street about 1:20 p.m. Saturday when an armed man shot him in the head and fled east on foot, authorities said. Hill, of the 700 block of West Blackhawk Street, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he died at 10:08 p.m. Sunday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Carl Pate, 56, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in the 12200 block of South Aberdeen Street at 7:41 a.m. Sunday in his West Pullman neighborhood home on the Far South Side. Pate had been shot in the abdomen at 4:40 a.m. last Monday at his home, police said. Both shootings were thought to be related to narcotics.

About 2:45 a.m. Saturday, gunfire killed a 21-year-old man and wounded two others at a party in a Bridgeport apartment on the South Side, police said. Vidal Martinez, 20, of the 1300 block of South 58th Street in Cicero, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and two counts of aggravated battery/discharge of a firearm in connection with the Bridgeport shootings, police said.

Daniel Ortiz, 21, of Monee, was shot in the chest and died at the scene, authorities said. A 22-year-old man was shot in the head and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition, police said. The third man, who is 25, was found with a gunshot wound to the leg in a vehicle that crashed in the 4300 block of South Wentworth a short time later, police said. He was treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and released.

On Saturday morning, John Atkins, 33, was shot multiple times and died in the Morgan Park neighborhood, police said. Atkins was found at 11:19 a.m. in a gangway at the rear of a building in the 11700 block of South Hale, police said.

In addition to those wounded and killed, at least 21 additional people have been injured in shootings since Friday night.

In the most recent nonfatal shooting a 20-year-old man was critically wounded in the Albany Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side.

The man was in the 4700 block of North Central Park Avenue when he was shot once in the side about 2 a.m., police said. The man was in critical condition at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, police said.

-- Sun-Times, Sun-Times Media Wire

Maurice Knowles | Homicide Watch Chicago

Prosecutors: Stolen gun was motive in shooting that killed teen

South Side man charged with murder in death of Roseland teen

Eight dead, at least 25 wounded in holiday weekend gun violence