Mechelle Lewis | Homicide Watch Chicago

Ex-boyfriend gets 45 years for gunning down Mechelle Lewis as their children watched in 2015 on South Side

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 11:50:44 -0500

By RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

Myron Mason | Chicago Police

A South Side man who gunned down his ex-girlfriend Mechelle Lewis in front of their two young children as they sat in a van last year was sentenced to 45 years in prison Friday after he pleaded guilty to murder.

After Myron Mason’s arrest last year, Cook County prosecutors said, without providing more specifics, that Mason lashed out at Lewis because he was mad over the transmission of a sexually transmitted disease.

“I know what I did. I’m the one that called. I killed her. I killed my wife,” prosecutors said Mason, now 34, told police after he drove himself to the Grand Crossing District police station and was arrested on April 21, 2015.

While the pair’s children—ages 8 and 5—looked on, Mason shot Lewis eight times as she sat in the driver’s seat of her parked van outside her house in the 7200 block of South Bennett Avenue. Both children would later tell police it was their father who killed their mother.

Lewis’ current boyfriend saw the shooting from nearby at 72nd and Bennett, and called 911, prosecutors said last year.

Mason and Lewis, who had a 10-year relationship, had been arguing over the phone before the deadly shooting, prosecutors said.

When Lewis pulled up to her street, she saw Mason was waiting there in his white Buick, prosecutors said. Seeing her ex, the 28-year-old woman drove around the block with her kids inside before coming back.

Mason had driven away but quickly pulled up, got out of his car and began firing, prosecutors said. He grabbed his kids and sped off in his Buick.

Lewis’ boyfriend gave police a description of Mason’s car, and he was stopped 10 minutes later.

“I don’t have a gun on me,” Mason told officers, according to a police report. “I dropped it by my car.”

Mason later confessed to shooting Lewis and also called his sister and Lewis’ stepfather to admit what he did, authorities said.

Comment of the Day: "My HEART Goes To The Children And Her Family!!!!!!!!"

Michael Lansu — Tue, 05 May 2015 16:15:12 -0500

Mechelle Lewis, 28, was fatally shot April 21 in the South Shore community. Prosecutors said her ex-boyfriend gunned her down in front of her young children. Reader Keoka Carter posted this about the killing:

My HEART Goes To The Children And Her Family!!!!!!!! : ( : ( : ( : (
R.I.P. Ms. Lewis U Will Be TRULY MISSED : (

WEEK IN REVIEW: Ten shot dead throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 09:26:26 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago

Ten people were shot to death throughout Chicago last week.

Four of the killings happened over the weekend, when at least 22 other people were wounded by gunfire.

The most recent killing happened when for high school basketball star Tim Triplett was found shot to death in the 3500 block of West Flournoy Street at 12:40 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Triplett, of the 4400 block of West Adams Street, was shot multiple times and died less than an hour later at Mount Sinai Hospital, authorities said.

Triplett was a standout basketball player at Crane and Marshall. He also briefly attended Farragut.

On Saturday, 18-year-old Javante Linson was found shot multiple times in a gangway in the 3400 block of South Hamilton Avenue about 1 a.m., authorities said.

Linson, of the 2700 block of West Lexington Street, had been shot in the head and abdomen and died at the scene, authorities said.

On Friday, 19-year-old Nicole M. Towns was shot as she left a party in the 9300 block of South LaSalle Street in Roseland when a gunman opened fire about 11 p.m., police said.

Towns, 19, of the 7400 block of South Michigan Avenue, was shot in the side and died at the scene, authorities said. Two other people were wounded, police said.

In the Marquette Park community, 26-year-old Rashad A. Abdullah was outside in the 7000 block of South Talman Avenue when two people approached from behind and shot him about 10 a.m., authorities said.

Abdullah, who lived on the block, died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn about an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

On Thursday, 16-year-old Amari Sutton was found shot in the chest and neck outside in the 1400 block of East 73rd Street in South Shore about 6 p.m., authorities said.

Sutton, who lived on the block, died at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Tuesday, 33-year-old Myron Mason fatally shot his ex-girlfriend, 28-year-old Mechelle Lewis, outside her home in the 7200 block of South Bennett Avenue in South Shore about 9:50 p.m., prosecutors said.

After the shooting, the man took Lewis' two children — an 8-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy — and drove to the Grand Crossing District police station, where he was taken into custody, police said.

Mason, of the 8600 block of South Kingston Avenue, is being held without bond.

In North Lawndale, 21-year-old Jaquille Reams was inside a store in the 3400 block of West Ogden Avenue when he was shot several times about 1 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said.

Reams, of the 100 block of North Lamon Avenue, died less than an hour later at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the medical examiner’s office.

In Bronzeville, 26-year-old Jeremy Collins was shot multiple times while driving in the 400 block of East 47th Street about 2:20 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said.

Collins, of the 700 block of North Monticello Avenue, died at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Monday, 21-year-old D'Montre Smith was standing in the 10200 block of South May Street in Washington Heights when a car drove past and somebody inside shot Smith in the chest 10:30 p.m., authorities said.

Smith, who lived on the block, later died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, authorities said.

The killings started when 18-year-old Marshawn Flemon Jr. was shot in the back about in the 6000 block of South King Drive about 2:45 p.m. Monday, authorities said.

Flemon, of the 6800 block of South Wabash Avenue, died at Stroger Hospital about an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

In 2015, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 117 Chicago deaths a homicide, including one person fatally shot by police.

Myron Mason held without bond for fatally shooting Mechelle Lewis in front of her children

Michael Lansu — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 12:47:21 -0500

Myron Mason / Photo from Chicago Police

BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

A 33-year-old South Side man gunned down his ex-girlfriend in front of their two young children because he was angry over the transmission of a sexually transmitted disease, Cook County prosecutors said.

“I know what I did. I’m the one that called. I killed her. I killed my wife,” Myron Mason allegedly told police after he drove himself to the Grand Crossing District police station and was arrested for Mechelle Lewis’ murder Tuesday night.

Although Assistant State’s Attorney Barry Quinn wouldn’t give details, he told Judge James Brown on Thursday that Mason violently lashed out because he was upset over “a sexually transmitted disease.”

While their children — ages 8 and 5 — looked on, Mason shot Lewis eight times as she sat in the driver’s seat of her parked van outside her house in the 7200 block of South Bennett Avenue, Quinn said.

Lewis’ current boyfriend witnessed the shooting from the corner of 72nd Street and Bennett Avenue and called 911, Quinn said.

Mason and Lewis, who broke up in December after a 10-year relationship, had been arguing over the phone prior to the deadly shooting, Quinn said.

A few minutes later, when Lewis pulled up to her street, she saw Mason was waiting there in his white Buick, Quinn said.

Seeing her ex, the 28-year-old woman drove around the block before coming back, Quinn said.

Mason had driven away but quickly pulled up, got out of his car and allegedly began firing.

The couple’s 5-year-old son was in the front passenger seat of the van and their 8-year-old daughter was in the back when the bullets showered into the vehicle, Quinn said.

Mason then took his son out of the car, then leaned down and whispered something to Lewis before hitting her head with his gun, Quinn said.

Mason dropped the weapon at the scene and fled in his Buick with his two children in tow, Quinn said.

Mechelle Lewis / Photo from ABC7

But since Lewis’ current boyfriend gave police a description of Mason’s car, he was stopped 10 minutes later.

Mason’s arrest report says he was stopped at 7040 S. Cottage Grove Ave., which is the Grand Crossing District police station.

“I don’t have a gun on me,” Mason told police, according to the report. “I dropped it by my car.”

Mason, a purported member of the Black P. Stone street gang, admitted to shooting Lewis and had called his sister and Lewis’ stepfather to admit what he did, authorities said.

His children also identified him as their mother’s killer, Quinn said.

Brown ordered Mason, of the 8600 block of South Kingston Avenue, held without bail Thursday.

Mason was arrested in 2002 for attempted murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm, according to court records. In that case, he was found guilty of aggravated discharge of a firearm and was sentenced to six years in prison.

Mechelle Lewis gunned down in front of her children in South Shore

Michael Lansu — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 13:58:08 -0500

Mechelle Lewis / Photo from ABC7

BY TINA SFONDELES
Chicago Sun-Times

Charges were pending Wednesday for a man suspected of gunning down his ex-girlfriend as she sat in a minivan with her two young children in the South Shore neighborhood.

Mechelle Lewis, 28, was shot to death about 9:50 p.m. Tuesday as she sat in a parked minivan with her children in the 7200 block of South Bennett Avenue, authorities said.

After the shooting, the man took the children — an 8-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy — and drove away in a car, authorities said.

He drove to the Grand Crossing District police station at 7040 S. Cottage Grove Ave., where he was taken into custody, police said.

The children were not hurt and a weapon was recovered from the minivan, police said.

Family and friends on Wednesday taped a card to a tree outside an apartment complex and placed flowers and teddy bears on the ground near where Lewis was killed.

Neighbors heard gunfire Tuesday night.

David Lowry said the block has seen its share of crimes, with some gang activity in the area. Lowry said he worried most about the children.

“It’s just very sad. I feel for those kids,” said Lowry, pastor of St. Thomas Lutheran Church at 8000 S. Jeffery Blvd.

Lewis had been a manager at a McDonald’s restaurant near 47th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue for years. Employees said Lewis was a cheerful person. They plan to hold a prayer vigil for Lewis.

In a statement, the restaurant’s owner, Yolanda Travis, said the entire McDonald’s team is mourning the loss.

“She was such a beautiful person and will be missed,” Travis said.

The 34-year-old man in custody was arrested in 2002 for attempted murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm, according to court records. In that case, he was found guilty of aggravated discharge of a firearm and was sentenced to six years in prison.