Thomas Bishop Jr. charged with murder in Independence Day shooting deaths of Robert Cotten, Corey Hudson

Michael Lansu — Wed, 13 May 2015 15:50:06 -0500

Thomas Bishop Jr. / Photo from Chicago Police

BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

A 21-year-old South Side man was ordered held without bond Wednesday for allegedly shooting and killing two men who had fought with his father last summer.

Thomas Bishop Jr.’s father got into a “verbal and physical” altercation with Corey Hudson, Robert Cotten and others in the parking lot of a West Englewood strip mall because he felt he was being “disrespected,” authorities said.

During the Fourth of July fight, Bishop left the strip mall at 63rd Street and Seeley Avenue and returned in a car with a loaded rifle, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Przekota said.

By that time, the fight had ended and Bishop’s father had driven off with two others.

But Bishop still got out of the car, took out the weapon and opened fire, Przekota said.

Hudson, 34, suffered 10 gunshot wounds to his body and two graze wounds, Przekota said. Cotten, 35, was shot four times.

A witness identified Bishop as the shooter and surveillance footage from a nearby business shows him leaving the area and then returning before the shots rang out, Przekota said.

Assistant Public Defender Margaret Domin said Bishop lived with his girlfriend in the 8200 block of South Wolcott Avenue. The police report lists Bishop’s address in the 6200 block of South Claremont Avenue.

Bishop has twin boys and a daughter and had been working as a mover and at a temp agency, Domin said.

WEEK IN REVIEW: 14 shot to death throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 10:42:18 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Fourteen people were shot to death last week throughout Chicago.

Nine of the murders happened during the three-day holiday weekend, when at least 60 other people shot and wounded. Additionally, man and woman were fatally shot early Monday. Their identifies have not yet been released.

On Sunday, 23-year-old Schiquille Salter was shot several times in the chest while standing on a corner in the 300 block of West 116th Street about 9 p.m., authorities said.

Salter, who lived on the block, was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died at 9:54 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In Austin, 21-year-old Donald Ray was sitting in a car with another man in the 5200 block of West Lake Street when someone walked up and opened fire about 5:40 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Ray, of the 2000 block of West Adams Street, was struck in the head and died at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park less than an hour later, authorities said. The other man, 19, was wounded but survived.

In Uptown, 19-year-old Kezon Lamb and a woman were sitting in a vehicle in the 4400 block of North Malden Street when a gunman walked up and opened fire about 12:20 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Lamb, of the 4100 block of West 127th Street in Alsip, was struck in the back and died at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center less than an hour later, authorities said.

On Saturday, 25-year-old Anthony Hobson was riding a bicycle in the 10400 block of South Normal Avenue in Roseland when a silver car drove past and someone inside opened fire about 11:35 p.m., authorities said.

Hobson, of the 10500 block of South Normal Avenue, was struck in the head and shoulder and died at Roseland Community Hospital less than an hour later, authorities said.

In West Englewood, police found 18-year-old Shaquille Ross shot multiple times in the street in the 6500 block of South Seeley Avenue about 4:30 p.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Ross, of the 200 block of West 95th Street, died at Christ Medical Center about four hours later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

In the South Chicago neighborhood, 23-year-old Deandre Brown was in the 8700 block of South Houston Avenue when he was shot in the abdomen and leg about 10:20 a.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Brown, of the 9000 block of South Mackinaw Avenue, died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital just over an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

In the Clearing neighborhood, 30-year-old Joel Bentley was in the parking lot on the southwest corner of West 63rd Street and South Austin Avenue when he was shot in the abdomen just before 1 a.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Bentley, 30, of the 5000 block of South Keating Avenue, died at Christ Medical Center at 5:46 a.m. Saturday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Friday, 34-year-old Corey Hudson and 35-year-old Robert Cotten were standing outside in the 2000 block of West 63rd Street when a black vehicle pulled up and someone inside shot both men about 2:35 a.m., authorities said.

Hudson, of the 6000 block of South Bell Avenue, died at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Cotten, of the 9600 block of South Mozart Street in Evergreen Park, died at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County at 4:47 a.m. Sunday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Thursday, 21-year-old Shambreyh Barfield and another woman were shot in the 3800 block of West Monroe Street about 4:15 p.m., authorities said.

Barfield, of the 6900 block of South Winchester Avenue, was shot in the head and died at Mount Sinai Hospital less than an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office. The other woman, 21, was shot in the arm and survived, police said.

On Wednesday, prosecutors claim Randy "Garfield" Ruiz, Jeremy Medina and three others fatally shot 19-year-old Jimero Starling in the 3300 block of West Division Street in the Humboldt Park neighborhood about 6:30 a.m., authorities said.

Starling and his pals were riding their bicycles when the group started shouting gang slogans and questioned them about their gang affiliation, prosecutors said. Starling tried explaining that he was a Latin King as well, but a fight ensued and Ruiz allegedly shot him, prosecutors said.

In West Englewood, 19-year-old Dakari Pargo shot in the head and back in the 7100 block of South Winchester Avenue about 1:45 a.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

Pargo, of the 7300 block of South Damen Avenue, died less than an hour later at Christ Medical Center, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Tuesday, 16-year-old Lafayette Walton was shot in the 1200 block of North Keeler Avenue at 5:18 p.m., authorities said. Lafayette, of the 2400 block of West Grenshaw Street, died at Mount Sinai Hospital at 6:52 p.m. Wednesday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The killings started last Monday when 17-year-old Michael Patton was shot in the chest in the 600 block of East 50th Place about 10:40 p.m., authorities said. Michael and a 15-year-old acquaintance were talking with several people in a van when somebody inside opened fire.

Michael, of the 600 block of East 51st Street, died at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. The 15-year-old was shot in the arm and treated at University of Chicago Comer's Children's Hospital, police said.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 203 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including nine people killed by police.

Additionally, the state’s attorney’s office filed first-degree murder charges against a speeding motorist who killed an off-duty police officer while trying to flee police even though the autopsy ruled the death an accident.

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

Robert Cotten, 35, second man to die from West Englewood shooting

Michael Lansu — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 09:20:03 -0500

A second man had died from an early Friday shooting in the West Englewood neighborhood.

Robert Cotten, 35, and Corey Hudson, 34, were standing outside in the 2000 block of West 63rd Street when a black vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire at 2:37 a.m. Friday, authorities said.

Cotten, of the 9600 block of South Mozart Street in Evergreen Park, was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, where he died at 4:47 a.m. Sunday, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Hudson, of the 6000 block of South Bell Avenue, died at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The vehicle drove off after the shooting and nobody has been charged for the murders.

Area Central detectives are investigating.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire

Robert Cotten | Homicide Watch Chicago

Thomas Bishop Jr. charged with murder in Independence Day shooting deaths of Robert Cotten, Corey Hudson

WEEK IN REVIEW: 14 shot to death throughout Chicago

Robert Cotten, 35, second man to die from West Englewood shooting