Penny Gearhart | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: While new police shooting video and protests get headlines, 15 people killed in Chicago

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 09 Aug 2016 16:00:07 -0500

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Last week saw the release of of the video of another fatal police shooting, and another round of protests from groups aimed at stopping police violence.

But while the city's attention was focused on the shooting that claimed the life of Paul O'Neal, at least 15 other people died from shootings and other violence in the city.

The latest week of violence brought the city's homicide total to over 425, according to the unofficial count by the Chicago Sun-Times Wire.

Six of the killings occurred over the weekend, capped by the killing of a man at his own birthday party in the University Village neighborhood early Sunday.
The 43-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman were at the party, attended by more than 100 people, when it was interrupted by gunfire about 2:20 a.m. in the 1300 block of West Hastings, according to police.

Everick Coleman, known to friends as Blue, was shot in the head and chest, and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. The woman suffered a gunshot wound to the left arm and back, and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where her condition was stabilized.
A 29-year-old man killed in a South Deering neighborhood shooting early Sunday. Someone shot Luis Marin several times in the head about 4:25 a.m. in the 11600 block of South Torrence, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
The attack stemmed from a domestic dispute and home invasion that happened in the 10700 block of South Avenue N, police said. No one was in custody as of Tuesday morning.
A 26-year-old man was killed in a Pilsen neighborhood drive-by shooting Saturday evening. About 11 p.m., Victor Alvarado was walking in the 1900 block of South May when someone began shooting from a passing car, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Alvarado was shot multiple times and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died about 90 minutes later.
Maurice Selvy was killed and another man wounded in a shooting Saturday morning on the Near North Side, just a block from the victim’s home. The pair were outside in the 800 block of North Cambridge when someone opened fire about 3 a.m., striking the 32-year-old Selvy in the head and abdomen, and a 33-year-old man in the torso, according to police and the medical examiner's office.
They were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where Selvy, known to friends as Reese D, was pronounced dead, the medical examiner’s office said. The older man was listed in good condition, but police said he was being uncooperative with detectives.
A Riverdale neighborhood shooting left a 17-year-old boy dead and a 41-year-old man wounded early Sunday. About 2:20 a.m., the pair were outside in the 300 block of East 130th Street when they heard gunfire and realized they'd been hit, according to police.
They were taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where the boy died of a gunshot wound to the head at 7:57 a.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was identified as Corey Buckner.

The man was also shot, though it wasn’t clear on the body where he was hit. His condition stabilized, police said. A person was arrested after the shooting, but police on Tuesday said that person had been released without charges.
A 15-year-old boy died Saturday morning, a day after being wounded in what police called an "accidental" shooting as teens were playing with a gun in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. Mario Venegas Jr. suffered a gunshot wound to the head about 1:15 p.m. Friday inside a building in the 2700 block of West Evergreen, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Venegas was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 8:58 a.m. Saturday, authorities said. On Monday, two teenagers were charged with felonies for the shooting. Orlando Gonzalez, 18, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon without a FOID card; and a 17-year-old boy was charged with involuntary manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm by someone under 18 years of age, according to police.
An 18-year-old man was shot to death early Saturday in the West Ridge neighborhood, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Miguel Bahena was walking about 12:30 a.m. in the 2100 block of West Devon Avenue when a male in a gray hoodie and light blue pants began shooting at him, authorities said. He was shot in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 16-year-old boy was shot to death in a vacant Park Manor neighborhood lot Friday afternoon. Officers responding to a call of shots fired at 12:39 p.m. in the 6700 block of South Wabash found Delance Price unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Price was pronounced dead at the scene.
A man was stabbed to death Wednesday morning in the Ashburn neighborhood and his roommate has been charged with murder. Michael Montgomery was stabbed multiple times in the upper body about 5:10 a.m. during a domestic dispute at his home in the 3900 block of West 85th Street, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Montgomery was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where he died about two hours later. An autopsy found he died of multiple sharp force injuries. Chadwick Perkins, 26, was charged Saturday with one count of first-degree murder for the attack at the home he shared with Montgomery.
Toryius Keefer crashed his vehicle after being shot in the head early Thursday in Roseland. Officers responded to a call of shots fired in the 10200 block of South Lafayette about 2:35 a.m. and found the vehicle crashed into the side of the garage, according to police.
Paramedics informed officers that the 21-year-old had been shot in the left eye and was dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office. The vehicle also sustained gunshot damage.
A 54-year-old Oak Lawn man was shot to death and a 17-year-old girl were injured Wednesday afternoon in an Avalon Park shooting. About 2:15 p.m., David J. Plank was driving in the 8400 block of South Stony Island when he heard gunfire and realized he’d been hit in the upper torso, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Plank was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead an hour later. The girl suffered a graze wound to the right calf, police said. Neither was thought to have been the intended target of the shooter.
Penny Gearhart, a fixture in the Uptown community for her work with StreetWise and other homeless programs, was killed Wednesday afternoon when she was caught in gang crossfire on the North Side street where she lived. The 57-year-old was walking with a 58-year-old man when they were caught in the middle of a gang-related shooting about 3:15 p.m. in the 4500 block of North Sheridan, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Someone in a passing vehicle opened fire, striking both victims, police said. They were taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where Gearhart died, according to the medical examiner’s office. The man was shot in the leg and was listed in good condition, police said.
A man was stabbed to death Tuesday afternoon in Austin. Ronnie Hutchen, 28, was found about 3:50 p.m. lying on the sidewalk in the 600 block of North Lotus with a stab wound to the abdomen, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he was pronounced dead atbout six hours later.
A 29-year-old man was shot to death early Tuesday in the Austin neighborhood. About 12:30 a.m., Donta J. Lee was walking on a sidewalk in the 5200 block of West Gladys when a gunman got out of a white car and opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Lee, of west suburban Maywood, was shot in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene.
A 28-year-old man died after he was shot Monday afternoon in the West Lawn neighborhood. Miguel Diaz was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds on the sidewalk in the 3900 block of West 68th Street at 2:09 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner's office. Diaz, who lived on the same block, was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead three hours later.

Penny Gearhart, popular StreetWise vendor in Uptown, killed in crossfire when rival gang members start shooting

Jeff Mayes — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 14:20:09 -0500

Penny Gearhart | Facebook

By MITCH DUDEK, JEFF MAYES and MITCHELL ARMENTROUT
Chicago Sun-Times

Penny Gearhart, a fixture in the Uptown community for her work with StreetWise and other homeless programs, was killed Wednesday afternoon when she was caught in gang crossfire on a North Side street near where she lived and often worked.

The 57-year-old Gearhart was walking with a 58-year-old man when they were caught in the middle of a gang-related shooting about 3:15 p.m. on a sidewalk in the 4500 block of North Sheridan, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Someone in a passing vehicle opened fire, striking both victims, police said. They were taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where Gearhart died, according to the medical examiner's office, which said she lived on the 4500 block of North Broadway. An autopsy showed she was killed by a bullet that struck her arm and went into her chest.

The man was shot in the leg and was listed in good condition, police said.

StreetWise posted a statement on Facebook concerning the death of Gearhart, who worked as a vendor for the publication.

Police investigate after an Uptown shooting that left a bystander dead and another wounded. | Mitch Dudek/Sun-Times

She was "an active participant in the StreetWise community. You may remember Penny as a vendor in Uptown or on restaurant row on Randolph. She regularly visited the offices to join our writers group and help out with whatever was needed," the statement said.

"She was caring and compassionate and had a larger-than-life personality. She was a loving mother and grandmother, and her sudden and tragic loss is felt throughout the StreetWise community."

Suzanne Hanney, a StreetWise editor, posted a statement on Facebook saying she was "stunned and saddened when I came to work and learned that Penny Gearhart ... was killed after being hit in the torso by gang crossfire ... a block east of our offices. According to various media reports, gangs use that stretch of 4500 North Sheridan Road as a stash for drugs. However, Penny was an innocent victim."

"Penny and a friend were walking down the street when gang members started shooting, and she got caught in the crossfire," according to the StreetWise statement.

Police said two sets of rival gang members opened fire at each other, and neither victim was thought to be the intended targets.

Gearhart was also active at the Inspiration Cafe in the 4500 block of North Broadway, where restaurant-style meals are served to the homeless and poor.

"It is with incredible sadness that we share the news that one of our long-time community members, Penny Gearhart, was killed during a drive-by shooting yesterday in Uptown," a statement from Inspiration Corporation, which runs the cafe, said on Facebook.

"She was an innocent bystander to the crime, and we deeply mourn her loss in this senseless tragedy. Penny was a shining star at Inspiration Cafe, a wonderfully kind and warm person who was loved by our entire community."

Hanney recalled that, "In our July 18 edition, Penny had written about her favorite things of summer as part of the StreetWise Writers' Group. She loved barbecues, picnics and going to Lincoln Park Zoo with her grandkids because it was always fun and free of charge. She also liked the music and food at Chicago festivals.

"More hauntingly, when I went indexed my emails for her name just now, I found another piece she had written about two young boys who got killed gangbanging after a shootout and then a high-speed car chase that resulted in one of the cars running over a baby stroller and killing the 1-year-old inside.

"One of the young men killed was the paternal uncle of [Gearhart's] 3- and 6-year-old grandsons, so she didn't know how she would explain it to them."

Gearhart concluded: "My prayer and fervent plea is for the young men of the community to take stock of themselves and see how precious life is. The killing must stop. CEASE FIRE!," according to Hanney.

"Personally, Penny was someone I saw often when I visited the vendor area. She was a sweet person who said she looked to those of us women in the office for strength."

“There were two innocent people shot and it was gang-related,” Tressa Feher, chief of staff to Ald. James Cappleman (46th), said. “We have had issues there in the past but it’s been quite a while.”

Police pod cameras were installed late last year on the corner of Windsor and Sheridan, just steps from where the shooting took place, Feher said.

A mail carrier said she was in her postal truck when she heard three or four shots.

“It was a really loud gun. That’s about all I can tell you,” she said.

Police were checking security cameras on the block that may have captured the shooting.