Vaughn Holeman | Homicide Watch Chicago

Comment of the Day: "Tell your dad and granny that everyone said hi"

Michael Lansu — Tue, 13 May 2014 16:09:14 -0500

Vaughn Holeman was fatally shot Sunday afternoon in the West Pullman neighborhood. Reader "Shannin" posted this about him:

Rest in heaven Lil Von a.k.a Douchie love u tell your dad and granny that everyone said hi u in a better place now u can relax in heaven unfortunately we gotta b careful down here its just sad bcuz u gone so soon and u still a baby but God makes no mistakes he called his Angel home so rest baby u ok now

Prosecutors: Demarco Washington fatally shot 15-year-old friend Vaughn Holeman in West Pullman community

Susan Du — Tue, 13 May 2014 14:29:10 -0500

Vaughn Holeman / Photo from Facebook

BY SUSAN DU
Homicide Watch Chicago

Morgan Park High School football player Demarco Washington, 15, was denied bond Tuesday for allegedly fatally shooting 15-year-old friend Vaughn Holeman on Mother's Day in the West Pullman community.

Demarco and Vaughn were standing together near the corner of West 116th Street and South Princeton Avenue Sunday afternoon when a white car drove past about 3:40 p.m. Sunday, Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Molesky said.

Vaughn began arguing with the car’s occupants while motioning for Demarco, Molesky said. Demarco ran up to the vehicle, pulled a gun from his pocket and fired several shots in the direction of the car.

At least one bullet struck Vaughn, and he collapsed while trying to run, Molesky said. Witnesses reported no shots fired from the white car, Molesky said.

Tiffany Woodley, a neighborhood mom whose children attended Haley Elementary Academy with Vaughn, said she was sitting on her porch when she saw a white car drive past her house.

When Vaughn fell, Woodley ran to the corner as other children gathered around, held him in her arms and applied pressure to his wounds to try and stop the bleeding, she said.

Vaughn, of the 400 block of West 115th Street, was shot in the chest and died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn less than an hour later, authorities said.

“It’s just really sad that this situation was allowed to grow to this level. It’s like what is there to do to stop this? What is the answer?” Woodley said.

Police arrested Demarco about a block away and found eight bullets in his shoe. He was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated discharge of a firearm and possession of ammunition without a valid FOID card.

Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. said to Demarco, "You have no judgment" then ordered him held without bond Tuesday afternoon.

Demarco is a freshman at Morgan Park High School, where he is on the football team, his public defender said. He has lived his entire life in Chicago and is a member of the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.

He had two previous juvenile felony adjudications and an unsatisfactory probation, according to court records.

Demarco is next scheduled to appear in court June 2.

Teen charged with murder in shooting death of 15-year-old Vaughn Holeman

Michael Lansu — Mon, 12 May 2014 18:28:52 -0500

Vaughn Holeman / Photo from Facebook

BY MICHAEL LANSU AND SUSAN DU
Homicide Watch Chicago

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with murder in the shooting death of Vaughn Holeman, 15, on Mother’s Day in the West Pullman community.

Vaughn and the alleged gunman were outside in the 200 block of West 116th Street when Vaughn pointed out a passing vehicle about 3:40 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

The 15-year-old with the gun then fired multiple shots at the vehicle, and on of those shots struck Vaughn, authorities said.

The alleged shooter has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder, aggravated discharge of a firearm and possession of ammunition without a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification Card. Police were not releasing the boy’s name because of his age.

Tiffany Woodley, a neighborhood mom whose children attended Haley Elementary Academy with Vaughn, said she was sitting on her porch when she saw a white car drive past her house.

When Vaughn fell, Woodley ran to the corner as other children gathered around and she held Vaughn in her arms and applied pressure to his wounds to try to stop the bleeding, she said.

Vaughn, of the 400 block of West 115th Street, was shot in the chest and died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn less than an hour later, authorities said.

“He never said anything,” Woodley said. “It was traumatic, it really was. It was trying.”

Woodley said she knew Vaughn as an extension of her own children — the outgoing jokester in their group. She described Vaughn as a pleasant young man who was well-known and well-liked in their West Pullman community.

Area South detectives were investigating whether the shooting was gang related, authorities said.

“It’s just really sad that this situation was allowed to grow to this level. It’s like: What is there to do to stop this? What is the answer?” Woodley said.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Eight shot dead throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 12 May 2014 10:01:19 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Six men and two women were fatally shot in Chicago last week.

Four of the murders happened over the weekend, when 18 other people were wounded by gunfire, authorities said.

The most recent murder happened when 15-year-old Vaughn Holeman was fatally shot about 3:40 p.m. Sunday in the 200 block of West 116th Street, authorities said. Detectives are questioning a juvenile for Holeman's murder, police said.

Holeman, of the 400 block of West 115th Street, died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn less than an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

On Saturday, 25-year-old Xavier Tripp was walking on a sidewalk in the 4100 block of West Adams Street when a vehicle pulled up and at least one person got out and shot him about 1:35 p.m., authorities said.

Tripp, of the 1500 block of North Long Avenue, died at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County at 2:15 p.m. Saturday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

In the Little Village neighborhood, 34-year-old Cesar Nieves was fatally shot in the 4100 block of West 28th Street at 3:24 a.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Nieves, of the 2800 block of South Kedvale Avenue, was dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Friday, Summer Moore was shot and killed in the 11400 block of South Aberdeen Street, apparently by a bullet meant for someone else, according to the police and relatives.

The 37-year-old mother of three and other relatives had gathered at an aunt’s home in Morgan Park to celebrate a teenage relative’s prom send-off, family said. Moore, of the 3100 block of West Marquette Road, was shot in the chest and died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, authorities said.

In the Calumet Heights neighborhood, 22-year-old William Lomax was fatally shot while traveling in a car in the 9300 block of South Stony Island Avenue about 11:40 a.m. Friday, authorities said.

Lomax, of the 10000 block of South Yates Avenue, was driven to a restaurant in the 8800 block of South Stony Island Avenue, where emergency crews took him to Stroger Hospital, authorities said. He died about an hour later.

On Tuesday, 18-year-old Jajuan Porter was shot dead in the 7900 block of South Vincennes Avenue, authorities said. A 26-year-old man was also wounded in the shooting.

Family said Porter was inside a restaurant when he was shot. Emergency crews found Porter, of the 600 block of East 131 Street, dead on the street, authorities said.

On the West Side, 20-year-old Chasteddy Blocker was shot in the 1500 block of South Central Park Avenue about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said. A 34-year-old man was also wounded in the shooting.

Blocker, 20, who lived on the block, was shot in the back and died at Mount Sinai Hospital a short time later, authorities said.

The killings started about 7:30 p.m. Monday when 29-year-old Gerlad Calhoun and a 35-year-old man were shot while riding in a vehicle near South Morgan and West 59th streets, authorities said.

Calhoun, of the 700 block of West 59th Street, died from a gunshot wound to the chest less than an hour later at Stroger Hospital, authorities said.

Nobody has been charged in any of the murders.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 125 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including six 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 at least eight of the homicides as involuntary manslaughter, justified self-defense or accidents.

Vaughn Holeman, 15, shot dead in West Pullman

Michael Lansu — Mon, 12 May 2014 09:29:34 -0500

Vaughn Holeman / Photo from Facebook

BY SUSAN DU
Homicide Watch Chicago

Gunshots rang out Mother's Day afternoon in the West Pullman neighborhood and the children on the block began shouting that 15-year-old Vaughn Holeman had been shot.

Vaughn was outside in the 200 block of West 116th Street when gunman in a passing vehicle opened fire about 3:40 p.m., authorities said.

Tiffany Woodley, a neighborhood mom whose children attended Haley Elementary Academy with Vaughn, said she was sitting on her porch when she saw a white car drive past her house.

When Vaughn fell, Woodley ran to the corner as other children gathered around and held Vaughn in her arms and applied pressure to his wounds to try and stop the bleeding, she said.

Vaughn, of the 400 block of West 115th Street, was shot in the chest and died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn less than an hour later, authorities said.

"He never said anything," Woodley said. "It was traumatic, it really was. It was trying."

Woodley said she knew Vaughn as an extension of her own children -- the outgoing jokester one in their group. She described Vaughn as a pleasant young man who was well known and well liked in their West Pullman community.

Area South detectives are questioning a juvenile in connection with the murder, police said.

"It's just really sad that this situation was allowed to grow to this level. It's like what is there to do to stop this? What is the answer?" Woodley said.