WEEK IN REVIEW: At least 16 people killed in Chicago violence

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 16:00:15 -0500

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

At least 16 people died from violence last week in Chicago, including a 14-year-old boy and a former star basketball player at a Southwest Side high school.

Eight of those were fatally shot over an especially bloody weekend, during which at least 45 other people were wounded by gunfire.

The 14-year-old was shot to death and another teenage boy injured in a drive-by shooting Saturday night in Kenwood. The boys were outside in the 4400 block of South Greenwood at 7:30 p.m. when a car drove by and someone inside started shooting, according to Chicago Police.

The 14-year-old, identified as Tyjuan Poindexter of the 1200 block of East 46th Street, was shot in the head and died at the scene at 8:01 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The 15-year-old suffered two leg wounds and was taken to the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, police said.

Witnesses told police there was an altercation in a nearby park before the shooting, but it is unclear if the altercation was related to the attack.

Former Bogan basketball player Deionte D. Harris, 18, was fatally shot Sunday morning in Auburn Gresham.

He was shot in the face and thigh in the 8400 block of South Hermitage at 10:35 a.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Harris, of the 8200 block of South Bishop, was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died at 11:05 a.m., authorities said.

A 2015 Bogan graduate, he helped the school win the city basketball title last season.

An Englewood shooting that left one person dead and five wounded early Sunday also caused a crash that injured six other people, according to police.

At 2:08 a.m., six people were outside in the 5700 block of South LaSalle when another group of people walked out of an alley and started shooting, police said. At least one person in the group of six returned fire, and a passing vehicle was caught in the crossfire. The driver lost control and it flipped over.

Charles Lewis, 28, was shot in the chest and was taken to Saint Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center, where he was pronounced dead at 4:29 a.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

A 19-year-old woman whose face was grazed by a bullet was also taken to Saint Bernard in serious condition.

A 29-year-old woman shot in the face was taken in serious condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, as was a 28-year-old woman who suffered a graze wound to the buttocks. A 29-year-old man shot in the arm and leg was taken to Stroger Hospital along with a 23-year-old woman shot in the left foot.

Six women from the vehicle were taken to hospitals, with three in serious-to-critical condition, Fire Media said.

Police are investigating whether the incident was gang-related.

Tyjuan Lewis was shot to death Sunday night in Roseland. Officers responding to a call of shots fired about 9:40 p.m. in the 10100 block of South Calumet found the 43-year-old unresponsive on the ground with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, according to police and the medical examiner's office.

Lewis, who lived on the same block where he was found, was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died, authorities said.

A 37-year-old man was shot to death Sunday night in Austin. About 8:20 p.m., Phillip Floro was walking with a friend in the 1600 block of North Central when he heard a shot and realized he’d been struck in the abdomen, according to police and the medical examiner’s office

Floro, of the 3000 block of West Franklin, was taken to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, where he died at 9:16 p.m., authorities said.

Police are investigating whether the shooting was gang-related.

Marquis Adams was shot to death Sunday morning in the West Pullman neighborhood on the Far South Side.

About 5:25 a.m., officers responding to a call of shots fired in the 11700 block of South LaSalle found the 31-year-old inside a car parked in an alley, police said.

Adams, of the 4400 block of Ascott Court in Richton Park, had been shot multiple times, according to the medical examiner's office. He was taken to Roseland Community Hospital, where he died, authorities said. An autopsy found he died of a gunshot wound to the torso and his death was ruled a homicide.

A man was killed and another wounded in a Saturday night shooting in East Garfield Park.

The men, 27 and 34, were outside about 8:15 p.m. in the 3400 block of West Flournoy when they heard shots and felt pain, according to police. They ran into a nearby building and collapsed.

The younger man, Torrence Bearden of the 700 block of North Harding, was shot in the chest and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He died there at 10:06 p.m. Sunday.

The older man was shot in the leg and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said.

Police are investigating whether the shooting was gang-related.

Thirty-eight-year-old Zika Urosevic was killed in a Humboldt Park shooting on Saturday evening.

Urosevic was standing with a group of people in the 1200 block of North Keeler when two people walked up and started shooting about 6 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Urosevic, of the 4200 block of West Crystal, was shot in the back of the neck, and died at the scene.
Police are investigating whether the shooting was gang-related.

John Davis was shot to death Thursday night in the West Side Austin neighborhood.

Davis, 28, was standing with a group of people in the 200 block of South Laramie about 8:40 p.m. when two people jumped out of a van and shot him, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Davis, of the 5300 block of West Ohio, was shot in the back and died at Mount Sinai Hospital early Friday, authorities said.

John W. Buckner, a civilian employee of the Chicago Police Department, was killed in a shooting Wednesday night in Morgan Park.

Buckner, 59, was unloading groceries from his car near his home in the 11500 block of South Church about 8:45 p.m. when three males rode by on bicycles and opened fire along the block, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Buckner was shot in the abdomen, and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died at 10:25 p.m., authorities said.

Buckner was a civilian employee of the CPD, assigned to the general support division, according to police. He had worked for the department for 25 years.

Another man, 41, was standing on a front porch on the same block when he was struck by gunfire. He was taken to Christ Medical Center, where he was listed in serious condition, police said.

A 17-year-old boy was shot to death Wednesday morning in Calumet Heights. Armonni Nelson was shot by a male suspect after answering the door of his home in the 9100 block of South Yates Boulevard at 7:47 a.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

He was shot in the abdomen and pronounced dead at the scene at 8 a.m., authorities said.

Police are investigating whether the shooting was gang-related.

A man was found shot to death early Tuesday in his South Chicago home. Albert Gonzalez, 48, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the neck in his home in the 8500 block of South Burley about 4:45 a.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Jarrel Lovelace, who was shot Aug. 31 in West Pullman, died Monday night. Lovelace, 30, was riding a motorized mini-bike in the 11800 block of South State about 7 p.m. Aug. 31 when shots rang out, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Lovelace, of the 1200 block of West 110th Place, was shot in the abdomen and arm, and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, authorities said. He died there late Monday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Detectives are investigating whether the shooting was gang-related.

Jaylyn Rounsaville was fatally shot Monday night in West Garfield Park. The 21-year-old was standing outside in the 3800 block of West Van Buren Street at 10:30 p.m. when someone approached and fatally shot him, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Rounsaville, who lived in the same block, suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he later died, officials said.

Izzah Readus died early Monday after he was shot in the head the night before in the South Side Kenwood neighborhood.

The shooting happened at 10:40 p.m. Sunday in the 800 block of East Bowen Avenue inside a basement apartment, police said. The suspect pulled out a handgun, fired shots and then ran out.

Readus, 29, who lived on the same block, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he died at 2:11 a.m. Monday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Also Monday, a man was shot in the head and his body left inside a burning building. The unidentified man, found dead after an explosion and fire at a Morgan Park house, died of a gunshot wound to the head, an autopsy showed.

About 12:40 a.m. Monday, firefighters responded to a report of an explosion and fire at a single-story home in the 10800 block of South Morgan Street, according to Fire Media Affairs.

The man, whose identity remained unknown more than a week later, was found unresponsive, according to the medical examiner's office. An autopsy found he died of a gunshot wound to the head and his death was ruled a homicide.

The fire was extinguished at 1:22 a.m. and no one else was injured, fire officials said. The explosion and fire have been deemed “suspicious,” police said.

Torrence Bearden fatally shot in East Garfield Park

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 11:24:26 -0500

Torrence Bearden was killed and another man wounded in a Saturday night shooting in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side.

The men, ages 27 and 34, were outside about 8:15 p.m. in the 3400 block of West Flournoy when they heard shots and felt pain, according to Chicago Police. They ran into a nearby building and collapsed.

The younger man, later identified as Bearden of the 700 block of North Harding, was shot in the chest and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He died there at 10:06 p.m. Sunday.

The older man was shot in the leg and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said.

Police are investigating whether the shooting was gang-related.

Torrence Bearden | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: At least 16 people killed in Chicago violence

Torrence Bearden fatally shot in East Garfield Park