WEEK IN REVIEW: Nine shot dead throughout the city

Michael Lansu — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 08:46:24 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Nine people were fatally shot throughout the city last week, and a 10th died from injuries suffered in an earlier shooting.

Eight of the murders happened during an especially violent weekend, which saw at least 37 other people wounded by gunfire.

The most recent murders happened when two men were fatally shot Sunday afternoon in the Little Village neighborhood.

Juan Ocon, 32, and Timmy Bermudez, 19, were riding in a Lincoln Navigator when they were shot about 1 p.m. near West 28th Street and South Sawyer Avenue, authorities said.

An orange Hummer blocked the SUV at the intersection then two gunmen exited and fired nearly a dozen shots at the vehicle, police said. Ocon was shot in the head and died at the scene. Bermudez was shot in the chest and died less than 20 minutes later at Mount Sinai Hospital.

In the Garfield Ridge community, A Chicago Police officer and her husband, a Cook County Sheriff’s correctional officer, were found dead in their home in the 5300 block of South Austin Avenue in an apparent murder-suicide, authorities said.

The correctional officer apparently shot his wife before shooting himself, said Cook County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Cara Smith. The bodies were discovered about 5 a.m. Sunday.

The couple has been identified as Javier and Veronica Acevedo, both 50, authorities said. Autopsies are scheduled for later Monday.

On Saturday, the bodies of 18-year-old Anthony Bankhead and 16-year-old Jordan Means were discovered in Bankhead's home in the 8200 block of South Houston Avenue about 10:40 a.m.

Both teens had been shot and were dead on the scene, authorities said.

Means lived nearby in the 8100 block of South Coles Avenue, authorities said. His mother, Camille Cochran, said the shooter and her son had exchanged words on Facebook. Police would not confirm her account.

In East Garfield Park, 42-year-old Darren Ray shot multiple times in an alley in the 2900 block of West Flournoy Street about 9:30 a.m., authorities said.

Ray, of the 3000 block of West Flournoy Street, was declared dead at Mount Sinai Hospital about an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In the West Town community, 19-year-old Nicholas Ramirez was fatally shot in the 1600 block of West Hubbard Street after crashing the vehicle he was driving during a chase about 2:30 a.m. Saturday, authorities said.

After the crash, at least one person in the second vehicle shot Ramirez in the head and legs, authorities said. The second vehicle then fled east on Hubbard Street.

Ramirez, of the 3900 block of South Rockwell Street, was dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Friday, 20-year-old Trevolus Pickett was fatally shot in a gangway in the 5200 block of West Congress Parkway about 11:15 p.m., authorities said.

Pickett, 8300 block of South Dorchester Avenue, was shot in the head and died less than an hour later at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the medical examiner's office.

On Tuesday, 16-year-old Keno Glass was was walking on a sidewalk in the 7600 block of North Ashland Avenue when a gray minivan drove past and someone inside shot him about 2:40 a.m., authorities said.

Glass, of the 3500 block of West Walnut Street, was dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Additionally, 22-year-old Andres Servantes died last Monday from gunshot wounds suffered April 11 in the 8100 block of South Kilpatrick Avenue, authorities said.

Servantes, of the 4000 block of West 58th Place, was sitting in a vehicle when a light-colored van approached and somebody inside opened fire, authorities said. Servantes was shot in the head and shoulders and died three days later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled 95 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including four 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 five of the homicides as involuntary manslaughter, justified self-defense or accidents.

Police: Husband and wife — both law enforcement officers — dead in murder-suicide

Michael Lansu — Sun, 20 Apr 2014 11:02:21 -0500

BY GEORGE SLEFO
Sun-Times Media

A Chicago Police officer and her husband, a Cook County Sheriff’s correctional officer, were found dead in their Southwest Side home Sunday in a murder-suicide, authorities said.

The correctional officer apparently shot his wife before shooting himself, said Cook County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Cara Smith.

“This is a tremendous tragedy any day – particularly on Easter Sunday,” Smith said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families.”

The couple has been identified as 50-year-old Javier and 49-year-old Veronica Acevedo, authorities said.

Just after 5 a.m. someone inside the Garfield Ridge home, located in the 5300 block of South Austin Avenue, called 911, Smith said.

Chicago police found them unresponsive inside the home a short time later.

A Monday autopsy determined Veronica Acevedo died of a gunshot wound to the head and the death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Javier Acevedo died of a gunshot wound to the head and the death was ruled a suicide.

Veronica Acevedo served 18 years with the Chicago Police Department and had won 23 “department awards” during her career, said Chicago Police Officer Jose Estrada, a department spokesman. Her husband served 25 years as a Cook County Sheriff’s correctional officer, according to Smith, the sheriff’s spokeswoman.

Veronica Acevedo | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: Nine shot dead throughout the city

Police: Husband and wife — both law enforcement officers — dead in murder-suicide