Samuel Walker Jr. | Homicide Watch Chicago

Three men charged with 2014 fatal shooting of 13-year-old Samuel Walker in East Garfield Park

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 11:33:39 -0500

Samuel Walker Jr.

By SAM CHARLES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Three men have been charged with a July 2014 shooting in East Garfield Park that left a 13-year-old Samuel Walker Jr. dead, and six other people wounded.

Anthony Harris, Anthony Lyons and Joshua Almore, all 23, each face one count of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted first-degree murder in connection with a shooting on July 25 2014, in the 700 block of South California, police said.

Anthony Harris | Chicago Police

Anthony Lyons | Chicago Police

Joshua Almore | Chicago Police

About 6 p.m. that evening, Samuel was standing outside with six other people—four of whom were also teenage boys—when they were shot, police said at the time. Walker, who lived nearby in the 3000 block of West Flournoy, was shot in the head and pronounced dead 20 minutes later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

A 15-year-old boy was shot in the right foot; three 14-year-old boys were each shot in the left leg; a 21-year-old man was shot in the right leg; and a 25-year-old man suffered a graze wound to the abdomen, police said.

Harris, of the 1600 block of South Komensky; Lyons, of the 1200 block of South Harding; and Almore, of the 6800 block of South Ridgeland, were all ordered held without bond on Thursday.

Father of slain teen Samuel Walker Jr. fatally shot in Humboldt Park

Michael Lansu — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 18:36:09 -0500

Samuel Walker Sr. (left) and Samuel Walker Jr. (right) / Family photo

BY BRIAN SLODYSKO AND MICHAEL LANSU
Chicago Sun-Times

Samuel Walker Sr. had been preparing for the funeral of his teenage son, Samuel Walker Jr., who was gunned down last Friday in East Garfield Park.

Now his family must decide whether to hold a joint memorial instead.

On Thursday, the elder Walker was shot to death in a Humboldt Park gangway — just two days before his 13-year-old son was to be laid to rest.

Walker just had his hair cut, and was on his way to get a cigarette, when he came across his killer near Division and Keeler about 9 a.m., those close to him said.

Authorities said Walker, a member of the Vice Lords street gang, bolted north up Keeler and into a gangway, attempting to flee the gunman, who chased him on foot.

Neighborhood resident Gail Reynolds, 54, said she was sitting on a bench beneath a tree when she saw a man run past on the other side of the street, followed by the crackle of gunfire. Walker was shot in the head and torso. He died at the scene, authorities said.

“That’s a cold motherf - - - - - who wants to shoot a motherf- - - - - in the morning,” Reynolds said. “I’m glad he didn’t shoot me.”

By noon, hundreds of onlookers gathered to mourn. An eerie silence crept over the crowd when authorities hoisted Walker’s body off the driveway and into a police wagon to be taken away.

Family members were upset and complained that his body had been lying outside more than three hours.

“Ants and s - - - are crawling all over him,” one relative said.

Later, firefighters hosed down the gangway, flushing Walker’s blood out to the street.

Family and friends gave conflicting accounts on whether Walker was a gang member. He had a criminal record, with convictions for weapons and stolen goods charges, according to court records. He also was facing an April 2014 charge of unlawful solicitation of a business and was charged with possession of marijuana in July.

Despite differing accounts about his gang affiliation, those close to him agreed the father of five was a “good person” who was well-known throughout the neighborhood — the kind guy who would keep an eye out for folks who lived on the block.

They noted that Walker was a rapper who put out his own CDs. He also loved hot wings, but was a terrible cook, said Monica Butler, 34, an ex-girlfriend, who remained close to Walker and saw him Thursday before he was killed. Butler insisted that Walker was not in a gang.

Butler said friends and family were still reeling from the death of Walker’s son, who was walking to buy some chips when he was killed last Friday evening in what police think was a gang-related shooting near California and Flournoy. Samuel Jr. was shot to death when someone opened fire on a group of people. Six other people, including two other teenage boys, were wounded in that shooting.

Scene where Samuel Walker Sr. was shot / Photo by Michael Lansu

“We were getting prepared for his son’s funeral and now we have got another one,” Butler said.

“He wasn’t even able to bury his own son,” added her sister, Barbara Figueroa, 46.

Sandra Williams, the boy’s aunt, said he had just finished summer school and planned to attend Manley Career Academy next school year.

“He was a good kid. He loved basketball and swimming,” she said on the steps of her sister’s home last Saturday.

On Thursday, the Rev. James Stevenson of nearby New Hope Missionary Baptist Church said the area where Walker was killed has been “extremely hot” with conflict.

“Every time I turn on the news, kids are getting killed,” said Samuel Walker Sr.’s aunt, who asked not to be named. “Do we have to wear bulletproof garments from our head to our toes?”

On July 1, 16-year-old Lafayette Walker was shot to death footsteps from where Samuel Walker Sr. was killed. Lafayette Walker was not related to Samuel Walker Sr.

“This stuff is like an epidemic,” Stevenson said.

-- Contributing: LeeAnn Shelton

WEEK IN REVIEW: Two teens among five killed throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 08:58:26 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Five people were shot throughout Chicago last week, including two teenage boys.

The most recent murder happened about 6 p.m. Friday when 13-year-old Samuel Walker was shot in the 700 block of South California Avenue, authorities said. Six other people were wounded in the shooting, according to police.

Sandra Williams, Samuel’s aunt, said her nephew had just finished summer school and was on his way to buy chips from a convenience store when he was shot.

Samuel was one of 26 people shot over the weekend. He was the only one who died.

On Thursday, 39-year-old Anthony Edwards was shot when a gunman opened fire on a gas station in the 11600 block of South Michigan Avenue about 3:15 a.m., authorities said.

Edwards, of the 12000 block of South Normal Avenue, was shot several times and died at the scene, authorities said.

On Wednesday, 16-year-old Darren Foggey was shot when a bullet went through a window in the 6700 block of South Artesian Avenue and struck him while in a bedroom about 9:25 p.m., authorities said.

Foggey, of the 6900 block of South Artesian Avenue, was shot in the neck and died at the scene, authorities said.

On Tuesday, 33-year-old Sam Aguilar was shot on a sidewalk in the 6300 block of South Francisco Avenue about 2 a.m. Aguilar, of the 1500 block of West Walton Street, died later that day at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

Authorities said 18-year-old Christian Alvarez, of the 5800 block of South Kedzie Avenue, and 31-year-old Antonio Castaneda, 6000 block of South Kedzie Avenue, were each inside a passing SUV from which the gunfire erupted. They were both charged with first-degree murder.

The first murder of the week happened when a gunman approached 34-year-old Demond Parnell outside his home in the 5400 block of North Kenmore Avenue about 10 p.m. Monday, authorities said. The gunman started a conversation then shot him in the chest, police said.

Additionally, Cook County Jail inmate Tony Purnell Wednesday from injuries suffered in a June 23 fight at the jail in the 2600 block of South Califorina Avenue, authorities said. The death was ruled a homicide.

Purnell had been in the jail since January on a disorderly conduct charge, which was dropped in June, according to the sheriff’s office. He was also charged with civil contempt in February.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 230 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including eight 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.

PHOTO GALLERY: Samuel Walker, 13, fatally shot in East Garfield Park

Michael Lansu — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 15:00:53 -0500

PHOTOS BY ALEX WROBLEWSKI
For Chicago Sun-Times

Samuel Walker, 13, was fatally shot Friday night as members of the Nu Church Movement set up its mobile ministry at a nearby vacant lot near South California Avenue and West Lexington Street in the East Garfield Park neighborhood.

Samuel Walker, 13, killed in West Garfield Park shooting that wounded 6 others

Michael Lansu — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 14:33:51 -0500

BY MAUDLYNE IHEJIRIKA AND MEGAN GRAHAM
Chicago Sun-Times

It was a beautiful Friday evening, and members of the Nu Church Movement had arrived to set up its mobile ministry on a vacant lot in East Garfield Park neighborhood.

Youth on the block had flocked to the lot and joined the church group, some playing games, some in prayer, when church leader Lavieda Stewart, 24, saw a car drive by slowly from the corner of her eye.

Five minutes later, she heard a barrage of gunshots, looked up and saw two men standing outside that car shooting near the corner of West Lexington Street and South California Avenue.

When the gunfire was over, 13-year-old Samuel Walker was killed and six others were wounded, according to officials.

“I immediately gathered together the kids that I had,” Stewart said. “We circled together in the grass and started to pray. I was a little in shock. I’ve never seen someone shot. But because someone was fatally wounded, we decided to get the kids we brought out of here but stick around and pray with the community.”

No one was in custody for the shooting Saturday, but police said they are tracking down good leads in the case, which is believed to be gang-related.

Walker has a documented gang affiliation, police said.

Some of the other victims are also gang affiliated, police said.

Sandra Williams, Walker’s aunt, said her nephew had just finished summer school and was on his way to buy chips from a convenience store when he was shot.

She said he had just graduated eighth grade and summer school and planned to attend Manley Career Academy.

“He was a good kid. He loved basketball and swimming,” Sandra Williams said on the steps of her sister’s home on Saturday.

“This is just too much,” Williams said. “We can’t handle this.”

Williams said her nephew was on his way to buy chips from a convenience store when he was shot.

About 6 p.m. Friday, multiple people were standing in the 700 block of South California Avenue when they were shot, police said.

Walker, who was shot in the head, was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:22 p.m. Friday, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. He died about two blocks from his home in 3000 block of West Flournoy Street.

A 15-year-old boy was shot in the right foot and three 14-year-old boys were each shot in the left leg, police said. A 21-year-old man was shot in the right leg and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition, police said.

A 25-year-old man suffered a graze wound to the abdomen and was treated at the scene, police said.

“This is so sad,” said Loretta Young, 31, as tears welled in her eyes.

Young, who lives near the site of the shootings, said she was looking at a television newscast about 11-year-old shooting victim Shamiya Adams when she heard gunfire.

She said she immediately rushed to the shooting site because her 14-year-old daughter, Antoneshia, was with the church group.

“I went looking for my daughter and walked past the dead boy on street and two other bodies on the street,” Young said. “When it is your child, you will walk through a war zone. I found my daughter, and she was OK. She ran on someone’s porch.”

Young added that she knew the victims “from speaking to them on the way to school or on the way to work.”

“How can you be watching the news about the violence and it happens outside your home?” she asked. “This has to change.”

Police said they found a car nearby that they believed was used in the shooting. The vehicle appeared to be torched, they said.

The victims were among 10 people shot throughout the city Friday night. In one shooting, a 3-year-old boy was wounded while standing outside with his mother and another male about 10:10 p.m. Friday in the 4400 block of South Sacramento Avenue, police said.

A group of two females and a male walked past them, and when they reached the end of the block, the male turned around and fired, striking the boy in the right hip and abdomen, police said.

-- Contributing: Luke Wilusz and Tina Sfondeles