Stephon Wright | Homicide Watch Chicago

Sean Shelton held without bond in West Pullman shooting death of Stephon Wright

Michael Lansu — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 13:36:53 -0500

Sean Shelton / Photo from Chicago Police

BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN

A purported gang member was ordered held without bond Thursday for allegedly murdering Stephon Wright in a drive-by shooting in the West Pullman neighborhood last year.

Sean Shelton, 22, and an acquaintance saw 18-year-old Wright and others in a parked car in the 10400 block of South Green Street July 1, 2013, and recognized them as being involved in a gang feud between factions of the Gangster Disciples, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Alexandra Molesky said.

Shelton and his friend then drove Shelton’s mother’s car to where their gang kept their weapons and returned to Green Street, Molesky said.

First, someone in a green car drove by and pointed at Wright’s car, Molesky said. Seconds later, Shelton drove by with his friend and allegedly opened fire, she said.

After the initial blast of gunfire, Wright and the women ran in different directions, but Wright was slowed when his pants slipped down while running, police said. Shelton then went up to him and shot him in the head, Molesky said.

Wright, of the 10800 block of South Racine, died less than an hour later at Roseland Community Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Hours later, an occupant from the green car was arrested with the .40 caliber gun that was used in the murder.

Shelton, of the 12100 block of South Normal Avenue, was identified by several witnesses and allegedly admitted to shooting Wright. He was charged with first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, police said.

His friend has not yet been charged.

Nobody else was injured in the shooting.

Comment of the Day: "Stephon was a good person"

Safiya Merchant — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 17:53:49 -0600

Stephon Wright, 18, was shot and killed in July after trying to run away from the gunman. Reader jo_jo shared this about Wright.

Stephon was a good person,had a good heart......he was like an brother to me I Never had I'm just missing him alot .......and I prey and hope who every did this turn them self in to the police cuz its not right and he didn't deserve it

Friend's mother recounts shooting death of Stephon Wright

John Carpenter — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 18:17:57 -0500

Priscilla Adams was behind her house when an unidentified gun man opened fire on her son, Stephon Wright and Wright's girlfriend. Wright was the only victim in the fatal shooting.

Slain Morgan Park teen remembered as fun-loving teammate, good friend

John Carpenter — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 17:25:16 -0500

By Cat Zakrzewski and John Carpenter
Homicide Watch Chicago

Stephon Wright was a fun-loving jokester of an 18-year-old. Although he was struggling to finish high school and had recently dropped out of an alternative program, police say the Morgan Park teen - killed Monday night as he sat in a car with friends - had no documented gang affiliations.

“He wasn’t doing anything but sitting in a car,” said Priscilla Adams, whose son, Antonio, was sitting with him, along with Wright’s girlfriend.

Police said that an unidentified car pulled onto the block at about 8 p.m., opening fire into the driver’s side of the car where Wright was sitting. The gunman then stepped out of the car and began shooting again.

The car was parked across the street from Adams’ house. She said she heard the shots and ran toward the street, only to be pulled back by friends who feared for her safety.

“The guy was still in the street and he was still shooting,” she said.

All three people in the car ran in different directions. But a police source said Wright may have stumbled when his pants slipped down. Adams said she didn’t know anything about that. Wright was first shot in the leg, and she speculated he may have fallen from that wound. He fell next to a tree and tried to get up, only to be shot again, this time in the head.

Adams said the ambulance came quickly, but not quickly enough. Wright was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at Roseland Community Hospital.

“The sirens got here fast, but they didn’t get here fast enough,” Adams said.

On Wednesday, some of Wright’s friends gathered around that tree, where splatters of his blood were beginning to dry on the trunk, and a pool of dried blood could be seen on the ground. There were messages on a poster board, some of which appeared to be smeared in blood.
Antonio Adams had left a small teddy bear, his mother said.

“He’s takin’ it hard,” Adams said.

Wright was described as a popular and well-liked friend. Adams said he was always respectful and remembered him listening to rap and playing video games with her son.

“He loved having fun and being around his friend,” 16-year-old Alexis Brown said, wiping away tears as she wrote a message on the memorial.

Wright had attended Julian High School, where he was punter on the football team. His former coach said he could get anyone around him to laugh.

“He was just a jokester,” Coach Jason Richardson said. “A practical jokester.”
Richardson coached Wright in 2011, the second of his two-year stint with the team. He called Wright “a good kid” and “a decent player.”

“All he wanted to do was kick, kick, kick,” Richardson said.

Wright left the team last year when he was unable to attend practices for personal reasons, Richardson said. Richardson said he still came to practices to see the senior players, his friends.

“He was a great teammate,” Richardson said. “He was a pretty popular kid.”
Wright, of the 10800 block of South Racine, had transferred to an alternative school, Excel Academy of Chicago. Tyree Booker, Excel’s executive director, said he was on track to earn a degree by June of 2014, but dropped out this past May.

“I happened to see Stephon near the end of the school year and he indicated he wanted to try again next year,” Booker said. “We are about giving students second chances and sometimes third chances, so we still had hope he would return and finish high school. All of us are deeply saddened by the news.”

Blood can still be seen on the ground near the tree where Stephon Wright died.

The makeshift memorial for Stephon Wright, on the tree where he died.

Coach remembers slain teen as a good, fun-loving teammate

John Carpenter — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 12:26:52 -0500

By Cat Zakrzewski
Homicide Watch Chicago

Former punter Stephon Wright could get laughs from everyone at a Julian High School football practice - even his coach.

“He was just a jokester,” Coach Jason Richardson said. “A practical jokester.”

On Monday night, in the 10400 block of Green, Wright became the third player Richardson coached to be shot to death in the last four months.

The 18-year-old was sitting in a parked car with two women at about 8 p.m. when an unidentified shooter opened fire. Everyone inside the car ran in different directions, but a source said Wright’s pants slipped down, catching him as he tried to run. He was shot in the leg and fell to the ground. Then he was shot in the head before the gunman fled.

Chicago police spokesman John Mirabelli said Tuesday morning that Wright did not have any documented gang affiliations.

Richardson coached Wright in 2011, the second of his two year stint with the team. He called Wright “a good kid” and “a decent player.”

“All he wanted to do was kick, kick, kick,” Richardson said.

Richardson remembers Wright at practice, laughing with him about the time he took off with the ball against his coach’s call and then immediately coughed it up. He remembers Wright punting the ball to his teammates, and then teasing them after they fumbled.

“He recovered the fumble and he ran off the field,” Richardson said with a deflated laugh. “Then he said, ‘I’m keeping the ball.’”

Wright had to leave the team last year when he was unable to attend practices for personal reasons, Richardson said. Wright, of the 10800 block of South Racine, had transferred to an alternative school, but even after he left, Richardson said he still came to practices to see the senior players, his friends.

“He was a great teammate,” Richardson said. “He was a pretty popular kid.”

Richardson said to his knowledge Wright, a high school senior, was on track to graduate.

“He was always positive with me,” Richardson said. “He never had a bad attitude.”

Man running away from gunman killed on South Side

Sun-Times Media Wire — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 08:41:37 -0500

A gunman shot and killed an 18-year-old Morgan Park man whose pants apparently slipped down and slowed his attempt to flee.

Stephon Wright, of the 10800 block of South Racine, was sitting in a parked vehicle with two females in the 10400 block of South Green when a man in a passing car opened fire on the group about 8 p.m., authorities said.

After the initial blast of gunfire, the gunman exited his car and Wright and the two women ran in different directions, police said.

As Wright tried to run, his pants slipped down, according to a source. He was shot in the leg and collapsed to the ground as he wrestled with his pants, the source said. The gunman then shot Wright in the head before fleeing, according to the source.

Wright was taken to Roseland Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 8:30 p.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

Nobody else was injured in the shooting.

No one was in custody Tuesday morning as Area South detectives investigated.