Richard Johnson | Homicide Watch Chicago

Joshua Ford charged with fatal shooting of Richard Johnson in 2014 in Greater Grand Crossing

Jeff Mayes — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 18:16:48 -0500

A South Side man has been charged with the 2014 fatal shooting of Richard Johnson of Riverdale man in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood.

Joshua Ford | Chicago Police

Joshua J. Ford, 25, was charged with one count of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of the 34-year-old on Sept. 21, 2014, in the 7700 block of South Stewart, Chicago Police announced Saturday.

Johnson was a passenger in a vehicle going eastbound on Stewart when he was shot in the head by someone on the streer about 3 a.m., police said at the time. He was taken to Saint Bernard Hospital and later transferred to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died a day later.

An autopsy confirmed he died of a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Ford, of the 600 block of East 73rd Street, was ordered held on a $900,000 bond on Saturday, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office. He is due in court again Monday.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

WEEK IN REVIEW: Nine dead in Chicago slayings

Michael Lansu — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 09:45:02 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago

At least nine people were killed by violence last week in Chicago.

Nobody was killed in the city Tuesday through Thursday, the longest murder free stretch since early August. However, the week ended with a flurry of violence that left eight dead since Friday afternoon.

The most recent killing happened when 24-year-old Miguel Hernandez was shot while standing on a porch in the in the 8500 block of South Escanaba Avenue about 11 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Hernandez, who lived on the block, was shot in the head and right side and died at the scene, authorities said. An 18-year-old woman and 35-year-old man were also wounded but survived.

In the Chicago Lawn community, 13-year-old Demureya Macon was fatally shot in the in the 6600 block of South Talman Avenue after being questioned about his gang affiliation about 8:35 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Demureya, of the 6400 block of South Maplewood Avenue, tried to run away, but collapsed on a nearby sidewalk and died at the scene, authorities said.

In the Dunning area, police found a woman in her 30s and a young girl dead inside a home in the 3400 block of North Odell Avenue about 9 a.m. Sunday, police said.

Earlier, police in north suburban Waukegan responded to an incident involving a “suicidal man” who told officers he harmed his family and directed police to the Odell Avenue home, Chicago Police said.

Authorities have not yet released the identifies of the victims or said how they were killed.

On Saturday, 20-year-old Leroyce Noel was stabbed in what police called a domestic incident in the 6500 block of South Minerva Avenue in Woodlawn about 3 p.m., authorities said.

Noel, of the 7100 block of South Mozart Street, died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital at 4:19 p.m. Saturday, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In the Back of the Yards neighborhood, 23-year-old Jose Rios was shot while walking in the 4500 block of South Hermitage Avenue about 6:15 a.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Rios, of the 4300 block of South Paulina Street, was shot multiple times and died at Mount Sinai Hospital less than an hour later, authorities said.

On Friday, 27-year-old Malachi Baldwin was shot in the head in the 5700 block of South Aberdeen Street about 10:15 p.m., authorities said.

Baldwin, of the 5600 block of South Elizabeth Street, died at the scene, authorities said. Two men, 63 and 25, were wounded but survived, police said.

In the West Englewood neighborhood, 22-year-old Deandre Ellis was shot in the chest in a barbershop in the 1900 block of West 59th Street about 2 p.m., authorities said.

Ellis, 22, of the 5700 block of South Laflin Street, died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn about an hour later, authorities said. Two men, 31 and 44, were also wounded but survived, police said.

The killings started last Monday when Mondele O. Heard was shot in the head in the 7800 block of South Homan Avenue 8:40 p.m., authorities said.

Heard, 20, of the 7800 block of South Sawyer Avenue, later died at Christ Medical Center, authorities said. A 23-year-old man and 24-year-old woman were wounded but survived, police said.

“[Heard] was a really peaceful guy,” said friend Julian Smith. “I can’t recall him ever getting into it with anybody. He wasn’t violent at all.”

Additionally, 34-year-old Bobby Lee Battle died Tuesday from injuries suffered when he was shot multiple times while walking in the 8200 block of South Maryland Avenue about 7 p.m. May 11, 2013, authorities said.

Last Monday, 34-year-old Richard Johnson of Riverdale died from injuries suffered when he was shot in the head early Sunday while driving in the 7700 block of South Stewart Avenue in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood, authorities said.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 319 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including 12 people killed by police.

Chicago Police, which counts murders different, have ruled some of those homicides as involuntary manslaughter, justified self-defense or accidents.

Richard Johnson, 34, dies from Greater Grand Crossing shooting

Michael Lansu — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 17:05:19 -0500

A Riverdale man has died after being shot while riding in a vehicle early Sunday in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood.

Richard Johnson, 34, was a passenger in a vehicle traveling east in the 7700 block of South Stewart Avenue when somebody on the street opened fire just before 3 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Johnson, of the 600 block of East 133rd Street in Riverdale, was driven to Saint Bernard Hospital, authorities said. He was transferred to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, where he died at 9:09 p.m. Monday, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

An autopsy confirmed Johnson died of a gunshot wound to the head and ruled his death a homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Nobody has been charged for the murder.

Area South detectives are investigating if the shooting is gang related.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire