WEEK IN REVIEW: At least 14 die from violence, including young mother left paralyzed by shooting 7 months earlier

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 12:56:10 -0600

By JEFF MAYES
Homicide Watch Chicago

Sun-Times file photo

At least 14 people died from violence in Chicago last week, including a young mother who died from injuries suffered in a shooting last summer near her West Side home that left her paralyzed for the last seven months of her life.

Precious Land, 27, was shot about 8 p.m. May 28 as she drove home in the 3900 block of West Lexington in the Lawndale neighborhood, Chicago Police said at the time.

Land, who lived a block from where she was shot, died at 9:24 p.m. Friday at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

On the night she was killed, the start of Memorial Day weekend, Land had just dropped off her four children at a friend’s home, family members said on Facebook. Just one block west of Land’s home, she suffered a gunshot wound to the neck and was initially taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.

Land, a mother of four, was left in a coma and paralyzed, family and friends said on Facebook. She eventually came out of the coma and was taken home from the hospital, but remained paralyzed until she passed away.

The week's final homicide was a man fatally shot Sunday morning in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. At 5:30 a.m., officers responding to a call of a person down found 26-year-old Timothy Wade unresponsive on the sidewalk in the 2600 block of West Van Buren, according to police. Wade, who lived on the same block, was shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 34-year-old man was fatally shot early Sunday during an argument in Lawndale. Octavius Hudson was arguing with someone who pulled a gun and fired in the 4700 block of West Polk at 1:13 a.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Hudson suffered a gunshot wound to the chest, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.
A west suburban man was shot to death Saturday night in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side. Joseph Chess Jr. was outside about 6:55 p.m. in the 5500 block of West Rice when a vehicle drove by and someone inside fired shots, authorities said. Chess, 26, was shot multiple times and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died, police and the medical examiner’s officer said. He lived in Bellwood.
A northwest suburban man was killed and another man wounded Saturday morning in another Lawndale shooting. At 8:05 a.m., the men were standing in the street in the 1100 block of South Francisco when someone got out of a car and fired multiple shots, according to police. The shooter then got back into the vehicle and drove away. Everick Lamont Dukes, 27, of Elgin was shot in the head and chest, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. A 39-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the back, and was also taken to Mount Sinai, where he was listed in good condition.
A man was killed and a woman critically wounded in a shooting earlier Saturday inside an Englewood neighborhood home on the South Side. About 3:30 a.m., five or six people went into the house in the 6000 block of South Carpenter and opened fire, hitting both victims multiple times, police said. Tyrone Blake, 25, was pronounced dead at the scene, the medical examiner’s office said. The 26-year-old woman was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital.
A man was killed in a shooting Friday night in the Marquette Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Devonta Spraggins, 20, was driving east on 72nd Street about 9:50 p.m. when someone in a westbound Ford Explorer fired shots as the vehicles crossed paths at Washtenaw Avenue, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Spraggins, who lived a block away, was shot in the chest, and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead.
A man died Friday afternoon after being shot in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side. Diamond Woods was outside when he got into an argument about 4 p.m. in the 600 block of North Central, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. At least one person then fired shots, striking him multiple times. Woods, just 10 days after his 21st birthday, was taken to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, where he was pronounced dead.
A man was killed and another wounded in a shooting Thursday night in the Little Village neighborhood on the Southwest Side. The men—34 and 36—were standing on the sidewalk at 9:23 p.m. in the 2700 block of South Homan when a black SUV approached and someone inside fired shots, police said. The younger man, identified as Ramon Valdez, was shot in the chest and back, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The older man was struck in the leg, and was in good condition.
A 35-year-old man died 11 days after being shot in the head on New Year’s Eve in the Gage Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Juan A. Vasquez was driving in the 5600 block of South Albany about 3 a.m. Dec. 31, 2016, when at least one person opened fire and he was hit, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Vasquez managed to keep driving for about six more blocks before his vehicle stalled near his home in the 3100 block of West 53rd Street. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died Jan. 11.
A North Side man who suffered critical injuries when he was shot early Sunday died in a hospital three days later. Officers responded about 1:40 a.m. Jan. 8 to a call of a person shot and found 21-year-old Umair Ullah lying in an alley in the 5600 block of North Western, according to police and the medical examiner's office. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was taken in critical condition to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he died at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday.
A man was killed and four more were wounded in a shooting in the Brighton Park neighborhood Wednesday evening on the Southwest Side, the second shooting in recent weeks committed with an assault rifle, according to police. About 6 p.m., a group of gang members drove into the 4200 block of South Talman and “ambushed” another group before opening fire, according to Ald. Raymond Lopez. The four who were struck tried to flee, but made it only to the parking lot of a vacant business at Archer and Western.David Gonzalez, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office. Two men were taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, with an 18-year-old shot in the back and a 22-year-old shot in the face, according to police and the Chicago Fire Dept. Two more men were taken in good condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, including a 25-year-old shot in the arm and a 21-year-old shot in the finger.
A 26-year-old man was killed in a shooting Monday evening in the Hermosa neighborhood on the Northwest Side. Police responded to a call of a person shot at 7:44 p.m. and found Deontae T. Nichols unresponsive with gunshot wounds to his body and head in the 1600 block of North Keystone, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Nichols was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
One man was killed and another wounded in a shooting Monday morning in West Garfield Park. Three men were in a vehicle heading east in the 4500 block of West Lexington at 9:47 a.m. when a black SUV pulled alongside and the driver started shooting, according to police. A backseat passenger, 21, and a front seat passenger, 23, were both shot in the head, police said. The driver, 26, was not injured, and drove the victims to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park. The younger man, identified as Brandon H. Jones, was pronounced dead , while the older man’s condition was stabilized and he was transferred to Stroger Hospital.

Man who died three days after being shot on North Side identified as 21-year-old Umair Ullah

Jeff Mayes — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 16:21:30 -0600

A man who died three days after being shot early Sunday on the North Side has been identified as Umair Ullah.

Officers responded about 1:40 a.m. Jan. 8 to a call of a person shot in an alley in the 5600 block of North Western, according to Chicago Police. They found the 21-year-old lying in the alley with an apparent gunshot wound to the head, according to Chicago Police.

Ullah was taken in critical condition to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was pronounced dead at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 1700 block of West Highland Avenue.

An autopsy Friday showed he died of a gunshot wound to the face, and his death was ruled a homicide.

--Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Umair Ullah | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: At least 14 die from violence, including young mother left paralyzed by shooting 7 months earlier

Man who died three days after being shot on North Side identified as 21-year-old Umair Ullah