Mikal Malik Johnson | Homicide Watch Chicago

Joshua Rodriguez charged with fatal shooting of Mikal Malik Johnson in Logan Square in April

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 14:32:54 -0500

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Joshua Rodriguez | Chicago Police

A man has been charged with the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Mikal Malik Johnson in the Northwest Side Logan Square neighborhood last April.

Joshua Rodriguez, 23, faces one count of first-degree murder for the fatal shooting on April 8, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

Johnson was in a car driven by a friend in the 2700 block of West Bloomingdale about 2:50 a.m. when they ran into Rodriguez, who was in the backseat of another car, prosecutors said. They got into an argument, and Rodriguez and his friend began following Johnson's car.

Johnson and his friend parked on Bloomingdale Avenue and got out of the vehicle, and the other car parked as well, prosecutors said. Rodriguez, armed with a gun, and his friend got out and approached Johnson and his friend.

Johnson said they didn’t want any trouble, and started getting back into the car with his friend, prosecutors said. Rodriguez then fired four to five times in their direction.

Johnson, of the 1200 block of West Belden, was shot in the chest and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said. His friend was already in the vehicle when shots were fired and was not struck.

Rodriguez and his friend got back into their car and drove away, prosecutors said.

Video surveillance caught them following Johnson before the shooting, and the vehicle fleeing the scene after the shooting, prosecutors said. Detectives investigated the car, which led them to Rodriguez. He was then positively identified as the shooter.

Rodriguez was previously charged with aggravated battery of a police officer, residential burglary, and theft, prosecutors said.

Cook County Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. ordered Rodriguez, of the 6000 block of South Whipple, held without bond Thursday.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Five killed throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 09:14:03 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Four men were fatally shot and a 56-year-old woman was suffocated last week in Chicago.

Two of the fatal shootings happened over the weekend, when at least 26 other people were wounded by gunfire.

The most recent killing happened when a 22-year-old man sitting a vehicle parked in the 400 block of East 72nd Street in the Park Manor community was shot multiple times about 8:40 p.m. Saturday, police said. The Cook County medical examiner’s office has not yet released his name.

On Friday, 39-year-old David E. Finney was fatally shot during a domestic argument at his home in the 11300 block of South Green Street in the Morgan Park neighborhood about 10:35 p.m., authorities said.

On Wednesday, prosecutors claim passing motorist Joseph Hill stopped near near East 84th Street and South Essex Avenue in South Chicago to ask a group walking down the street if they had marijuana. Hill then opened fire, striking Devante Warnsby in the back of the head about 11 a.m., prosecutors said.

Warnsby, 21, of the 8400 block of South Oglesby Avenue, died that night at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the medical examiner's office.

In Logan Square, somebody in a vehicle shot 24-year-old Mikal Malik Johnson in the 2700 block of West Bloomingdale Avenue about 3 a.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

Johnson, of the 1200 block of West Belden Avenue, died Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the medical examiner's office.

Johnson was a 2008 graduate of Rolling Meadows High School, where he was a star running back for the football team and finished third in the state wrestling tournament, family said.

On Tuesday, prosecutors claim 33-year-old Robert Hill suffocated his girlfriend, 56-year-old Sandra Fellows, inside her home in the 6600 block of West Beldin Avenue.

Police arrested Hill the next day when he returned to the crime scene with a garbage can to dispose of the body, prosecutors said.

In 2015,, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 98 Chicago deaths a homicide.

Ex-Rolling Meadows star football player Mikal Johnson shot dead in Logan Square

Michael Lansu — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 17:00:55 -0500

Mikal Johnson / Photo from Facebook

BY MATT McCALL
Homicide Watch Chicago

Mikal Johnson was excited to learn that he made the cut for a local semi-pro football team.

Two days later, the former star running back at Rolling Meadows High School was shot to death in the Logan Square neighborhood, authorities said.

Relatives said Mikal Johnson was also a member of the Rolling Meadows wrestling team, where he finished third in the state tournament in 2008.

But the devoted Bears' fan's true passion was football, family said.

Mikal Johnson's younger brother, 17-year-old Yahya Johnson, followed in his brother’s footsteps and plays running back at Rich South High School. He even wears his brother’s number 34, family said.

“He’s one of my biggest inspirations,” Yahya Johnson said. “When I tell people who I’m trying to top, it’s my brother and Walter Payton.”

After high school, Mikal Johnson studied music at Columbia College, where he met Gerrik Birt in 2008. He eventually wanted to become a history teacher, his family said.

Johnson never became a teacher, but Birt said he felt Johnson was always teaching.

“[He wanted to] make sure that the next generation was better off than we were,” Birt said.

Birt recalled a moment on the porch of a bar, beers in hand, where the two talked about recent hard times. Johnson told Birt how valuable their friendship was.

Mikal Johnson / Photo from Facebook

“I said, ‘I don’t have anything worth admiring right now,’” Birt said. “He said, ‘Naw man, you’ve got talent and spirit in your voice.'

"He kept telling me how much he admired me, and I appreciate it so much. I’ll never forget that day. He’s a special person, he never had anything but love for other people.”

While Mikal Johnson was known as "The Beast" on the field, his father, Luther Johnson, said he was a “big teddy bear” off the gridiron.

Mikal Johnson earned the nickname “gentle giant” for his reputation as a humble and kind person who was always breaking up fights and stopping bullies, family said.

On the night of the attack, police said a vehicle pulled up and somebody shot him in the chest. The shooter then climbed back into his vehicle, which fled north through an alley.

His mother, Aisha Bilal, said her son was in a vehicle with a friend when two men in another vehicle pulled up, got out and yelled that they had been cut off. Johnson and his friend left their car and was shot five times with 9mm handgun, she said.

Johnson, of the 1200 Block of West Belden Avenue, later died at Mt. Sinai Hospital.

“If there was something that could have been resolved, he would have avoided trouble at all costs,” according to Luther Johnson, who said his son was not in a gang.

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

Mikal Johnson killed in Logan Square shooting

Michael Lansu — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 15:53:43 -0500

Mikal Johnson / Photo from Twitter

Mikal Malik Johnson was shot to death in the Logan Square neighborhood early Wednesday.

Johnson, 24, was walking in the 2700 block of West Bloomingdale Avenue when a vehicle pulled up and somebody inside got out and shot him in the chest about 3 a.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

The shooter got back into the vehicle, which fled north through an alley, police said.

Johnson, of the 1200 block of West Belden Avenue, later died Mount Sinai Hospital, authorities said.

Johnson was a 2008 graduate of Rolling Meadows High School, where he finished third in state in wrestling and is one of the school's all-time leaders in pins. He was also a running back on the football team.

As word of Johnson's death spread, friends took to social media to express their condolences:

Nobody has been charged for the killing.

Are North detectives are investigating.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire