Michael Harrison | Homicide Watch Chicago

Second man charged with fatal shooting of Michael Harrison captured after six months on the run

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 18:03:02 -0500

By RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

A West Side man was ordered held without bond Thursday for allegedly shooting Michael Harrison to death and injuring another man because he thought they'd gone into his pockets and stolen his drugs.

Maurice Vickers | Chicago Police

Maurice Vickers’ co-defendant, Dominque Brown, was arrested right after the two ran away from the scene of the crime on Jan. 9, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Jamie Santini said.

But Vickers, 36, of the 2900 block of West Wilcox Street, wasn’t nabbed for six months. Authorities tracked him in New York and Oklahoma before he was finally arrested Tuesday for the shooting that claimed the life of 33-year-old Michael Harrison, Santini said.

Vickers and Brown were at a barbershop at 16 S. Kostner when Vickers started to argue with the victims because he thought they'd taken his drugs, Santini said.

Vickers and Brown left the business but came back armed and with a third person, Santini said.

Soon, Vickers and Brown got out of their car and started firing at Harrison and the other man, who were standing outside the barbershop, Santini said. The victims ran and took cover behind a parked car, but Vickers and Brown kept shooting.

Dominique Brown | Cook County sheriff's office

Harrison was hit in the abdomen. The other man suffered a gunshot wound to his foot and leg.

Brown was arrested two blocks from the scene by officers who heard the gunshots, Santini said. During the foot chase, officers saw Vickers throw a .40 caliber handgun, which authorities recovered and matched to shell casings found at the crime scene, Santini said.

Two days after the shooting, police found a 9 mm gun in a trash can in an alley, Santini said. The bullet found inside Harrison and 9 mm shell casings at the scene both matched that weapon, Santini said.

Harrison died at Stroger Hospital. The other man survived.

Brown, who is currently awaiting trial, allegedly implicated himself and Vickers.

Dominique Brown held on $2M bond in West Garfield Park shooting death of Michael Harrison

Michael Lansu — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 14:00:33 -0600

Dominique Brown / Photo from Chicago Police

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

One man was killed and another was wounded when an argument that started in a West Garfield Park barber shop turned violent Friday night.

Michael Harrison, 35, was at a barber shop in the 0-100 block of South Kostner Avenue on Friday when an argument erupted because a man accused Harrison and his friend of stealing drugs, said Assistant State's Attorney Jamie Santini.

The man who accused Harrison of stealing the drugs eventually left the barber shop with three acquaintances, but all four returned a short time later armed with loaded guns, Santini said.

The accuser and one of his acquaintances, Dominique Brown, approached Harrison and his friend outside the barbershop and opened fire about 10:30 p.m., Santini said.

Harrison and his friend attempted to avoid the "hail of gunfire" by hiding behind a car, but both men were struck, Santini said.

Harrison, of the 2700 block of West Jackson Boulevard, was shot in the abdomen and died at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County at 12:29 a.m. Saturday, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

His friend, 31, was shot in the left calf and right ankle, police said. He took himself to Rush University Medical Center for treatment, police said.

The gunmen ran away after the shooting, but nearby police officers saw Brown running north on Kostner Avenue and gave chase, Santini said. He was arrested about two blocks away from the shooting.

During the chase, Brown allegedly tossed a .40-caliber handgun, which police recovered and matched to shell casings at the scene of the shooting, Santini said.

A nearby business captured the shooting on video, and tests found gunshot residue on Brown's hands and clothes, Santini said.

Scene where Michael Harrison was shot / Video from NVP

Brown, 22, gave a videotaped statement admitting to the shooting and he was charged with first-degree murder, authorities said.

His lawyer said Brown graduated from Manley Career Academy High School and has been working fulltime at Target for about three years. He has two children.

On Monday, Judge James Brown ordered him held on $2 million bond and issued a next court date of Jan. 30.

The other gunman has not yet been charged for the murder.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Six killed throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 09:02:08 -0600

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Five men were fatally shot and a woman was stabbed to death last week in Chicago.

The most recent killing happened when 35-year-old Michael Harrison was shot while standing on a sidewalk in the 0-100 block of South Kostner Avenue in the West Garfield Park neighborhood about 10:40 p.m. Friday, authorities said.

Harrison, 35, of the 2700 block of West Jackson Boulevard, was shot in the abdomen and died at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County at 12:29 a.m., authorities said. A 31-year-old man was also wounded, police said.

On Thursday, 51-year-old Chicago Carriage Cab driver Chinedu Madu was shot in the chest during a robbery in the 1200 block of South Albany Avenue in the North Lawndale community about 8:45 p.m., authorities said.

Madu, of the 500 block of East 33rd Place, died at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Tyrese Bell, 24, of the 1200 block of South Albany Avenue, was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated battery to a peace officer, police said.

On Tuesday, Joe Bennett, Corie Williams and a 14-year-old boy were shot while were standing in the 2200 block of East 79th Street in the South Shore neighborhood when a gunman walked up and opened fire about 3:20 p.m. Monday, authorities said.

Bennett, 19, of the 8000 block of South Chappel Avenue, was shot in the head and dead at the scene, authorities said.

Williams, 18, of the 7900 block of South East End Avenue, was shot in the head and died at Christ Medical Center, authorities said.

The 14-year-old boy was shot in both legs and taken to Jackson Park Hospital and Medical Center for treatment, according to police.

On Monday, 24-year-old Larry Edwards was sitting in a parked car in the 9300 block of South Burnside Avenue in Chatham when a group exited an alley and at least one person opened fire about 11:40 p.m., authorities said.

Edwards, of the 1300 block of West 109th Street, was struck by the gunfire and died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn about an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The killing started about 9:45 p.m. Monday when Andre Brown fatally stabbed his 54-year-old mother at their home in the 3500 block of West 77th Street about 9:45 p.m. Monday because she kept “putting him down and telling him that he needed to get a girlfriend,” prosecutors said.

The woman, Damita Collins, died at the scene in her Ashburn home, authorities said. was the site director of Trumbull Park Head Start Program, part of the Ada S. McKinley schools.

Brown is being held on $1 million bond.

Additionally, 20-year-old Marsalis Holman died Tuesday after prosecutors said his friend James Gonnigan accidentally shot him dead Sunday night in their home in the 1300 block of South Kolin Avenue in the North Lawndale neighborhood. Gonnigan, 25, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and ordered held on $100,000 bond.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least eight Chicago deaths in 2015 a homicide.

Michael Harrison, 35, killed in West Garfield Park shooting

Michael Lansu — Sat, 10 Jan 2015 17:21:38 -0600

Scene where Michael Harrison was shot / Video from NVP

Michael Harrison was killed in a West Garfield Park shooting that left another man wounded Friday night.

The men were standing on a sidewalk in the 0-100 block of South Kostner Avenue when gunfire erupted about about 10:40 p.m. Friday, police said.

Harrison, 35, of the 2700 block of West Jackson Boulevard, was shot in the abdomen and died at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County at 12:29 a.m., authorities said.

The other man, 31, was shot in the left calf and right ankle, police said. He took himself to Rush University Medical Center for treatment, police said.

Nobody has been charged for the murder.

Area North detectives are investigating.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire