Shandel Adams | Homicide Watch Chicago

Brother: Jokester Shandel Adams killed returning from friend's home

Michael Lansu — Wed, 15 Oct 2014 17:50:50 -0500

Shandel Adams / Photo from Instagram

BY KENNY NGUYEN
Homicide Watch Chicago

Shandel Adams once broke his ankle playing football on Thanksgiving, but the constant jokester maintained his sense of humor all the way to the emergency room.

“He was a jokester, he got that from me,” said Adams' brother, Johnny Adams. “He was cheerful and happy. He wasn’t a down type of person, and he wouldn’t allow you to be down around him because he was full of life.”

Shandel Adams, 25, won't be around this Thanksgiving after he was fatally shot in the 600 block of North Ridgeway Avenue in the Humboldt Park community early Sept. 30, authorities said.

Johnny Adams said his brother was returning from a friend’s home when he was shot. After the gunfire erupted, those friends came running and found Shandel Adams on the ground, his brother said.

“During that moment, I was thinking OK, he will be alright ... Maybe he got shot in the arm or leg or something,” his brother said. "There wasn’t any urgency in my mom’s voice, so I was thinking he all right.”

Shandel Adams, of the 5400 block of West Van Buren Street, died later that day at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Johnny Adams said his brother was raised to respect his elders and he lived a “nice life.”

"Everybody who came in contact with him, he would just put a smile on their face,” his brother said.

Johnny Adams said his brother was “spoiled to the max” as a child and played Xbox and PlayStation video games.

As an adult, Shandel Adams cared for his child and helped raise his fiance's two children, his brother said. His fiance is pregnant with Shandel Adams second child, he said.

“It’s amazing how I see him grow into a young man like that,” Johnny Adams said. "He took them under his wings and they called him daddy. It’s amazing how I see him grow into a young man like that -- especially to take responsibilities for another man. That’s very manly in itself.”

Shandel Adams was buried Oct. 9 and the support was so overwhelming that mourners had to stand in a line that stretched around the walls of the church, Johnny Adams said.

“He touched and affected a lot of people's lives, which is a good thing,” his brother said. "We just have to continue to pray for my mom as she continues to deal with this situation because no parents should have to bury their child. Every child should have to bury their parent. That’s the way it should go.”

WEEK IN REVIEW: Six shot dead throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 10:00:02 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago

Six people were shot to death throughout Chicago last week.

The most recent killing happened when 20-year-old Hezekiah Harper-Bey was shot while inside a vehicle in the 4400 block of West Van Buren Street in West Garfield Park about 3 a.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Harper-Bey, 20, who lived on the block, was shot in the face and died about 30 minutes later at Mount Sinai Hospital, authorities said. Three other men in the car were wounded but survived.

On Friday, 20-year-old Tony McIntosh was outside in the 10600 block of South Yates Avenue in the South Deering neighborhood when someone walked up and shot him in the head about 9:20 p.m., authorities said.

McIntosh, who lived on the block, died less than an hour later at Advocate Trinity Hospital, according to the medical examiner’s office.

McIntosh was smoking cigarettes on the back porch of his family’s home when a gunman walked up and shot him, his aunt Traci Armstrong said.

“It happened right in front of his mother,” said Armstrong, 44. “It doesn’t seem real. Who does that?”

On Thursday, 25-year-old Raymond Murray was found lying in the street in the 7800 block of South Jeffery Boulevard in the South Shore community with a gunshot wound to his chest about 3:20 a.m., authorities said.

Murray, of the 7600 block of North Jeffery Boulevard, died at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Tuesday, 16-year-old Camerion Blair was shot in the back and buttocks in the 2600 block of East 73rd Street in the South Shore community about 6:10 p.m., authorities said.

Camerion, of the 7300 block of South Shore Drive, died at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Prosecutors claim Robert Smith, 21, of the 7600 block of South Coles Avenue, shot Blair and Judge Donald Panarese Jr. ordered Smith held without bond Saturday.

In the Humboldt Park community, 25-year-old Shandel Adams was shot in the 600 block of North Ridgeway Avenue early Tuesday, authorities said.

Adams, of the 5400 block of West Van Buren Street, died at Mount Sinai Hospital 4:17 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.

The killings started when 25-year-old Stanley L. Macon Jr. was shot in the 900 block of South Lawndale Avenue in the North Lawndale community just before 11 p.m. Monday, authorities said.

Macon, of the 2700 block of West Washington Boulevard, was shot several times in the head and died at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 330 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including 12 people killed by police.

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

Comment of the Day: "I pray we get closure"

Michael Lansu — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 16:34:40 -0500

Shandel Adams was shot to death early Tuesday in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. Reader Monique Thomas posted this about him:

Shandel I love you and will always miss you. Thank you for always being there for me when I needed you. I pray we get closure. I love you

Shandel Adams fatally shot in Humboldt Park area

Michael Lansu — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 11:52:28 -0500

Shandel Adams was shot to death in the Humboldt Park neighborhood early Tuesday.

Officers responded to a call of a person shot in the 600 block of North Ridgeway Avenue and found 25-year-old Shandel Adams on a sidewalk shot in the chest, authorities said.

Adams, of the 5400 block of West Van Buren Street, died at Mount Sinai Hospital 4:17 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Nobody has been charged for the murder.

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

-- Sun-Times Media Wire