Walter Neely | Homicide Watch Chicago

Two teens charged with murder in shooting death of Walter Neely near Chicago Police Headquarters

Michael Lansu — Sat, 27 Sep 2014 12:30:14 -0500

Walter Neely / Photo from Instagram

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

A 16-year-old boy and girl have each been charged with murder in the August shooting death of artist Walter Neely near Chicago Police Headquarters.

Kenneth Brown is accused of fatally shooting Neely, 25, about 11:35 p.m. Aug. 15 in the 3400 block of South Indiana Avenue -- about a block from Chicago Police Headquarters, authorities said.

“A policeman could have been looking out the windows over there and actually see who got shot,” Neely's mother, LaDonna Coney, had said.

Neely had two small children, Tiyanna and Trevion, his mother said. He was out getting milk for his daughter when he was shot, his step-grandmother, Lula Coney, had said.

LaDonna Coney said she her son was a natural artist, and she wanted him to enroll at the Art Institute of Chicago.

“He drew animated characters, and he drew Chicago,” LaDonna Coney said. “He wasn’t a nine to five guy, and he could really draw with those markers, stencils and charcoal.”

Neely had prior success in school and graduated from Phillips Academy High School in Bronzeville a year early, his mother said.

As a younger man, Neely pleaded guilty to a 2010 drug charge and was sentenced to probation, which he completed with satisfaction, according to court records. He was currently awaiting trial on a 2013 felony gun charge, according to court records.

“He is an ex offender but he was really on the road to getting himself together,” his mother said. “He didn’t walk the streets like that anymore. I never thought my son would die on these streets, he was smart and he knew people in the streets.”

Brown, of the 3800 block of South Michigan Avenue, was identified as the shooter in a photo array and was arrested Friday, authorities said. He was charged as an adult with murder for allegedly pulling the trigger, police said said.

The 16-year-old girl, Dreyana Grooms of the 2700 block of South Dearborn Street, was also charged as an adult with murder, authorities said. Her role in the killing was not immediately known.

Both teens are expected to appear in court for a bond hearing Saturday. Police were not releasing their names because they are juveniles.

-- Contributing: Angelique White

Comment of the Day: "Is it that easy to blow someone away in this city without ever getting caught?"

Michael Lansu — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 15:59:11 -0500

Walter Neely was fatally shot Aug. 15 in the Bronzeville neighborhood. Reader "holmesmmd" posted this about the slaying:

RIP Walter. He sounded like a good man. I live right in front of where he was shot and I can confirm that he was never transported to a hospital. Why they let a man lay dead in the street for 3 plus hours is beyond me?! Mercy hospital is 5 blocks up the street?! Sounds like another senseless tragedy committed in front of a sea of witnesses and cameras. No suspects?! WTF? Is it that easy to blow someone away in this city without ever getting caught?! The cops can sure write parking tickets and moving violation tickets though, huh? What a joke:(

Family: Artist Walter Neely fatally shot during rare night out

Michael Lansu — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 15:25:46 -0500

Walter Neely / Photo from Instagram

BY ANGELIQUE WHITE
Homicide Watch Chicago

Walter Neely was an artist who often drew pictures about the violence in Chicago.

Neely, 25, became a victim of the violence when he was fatally shot Aug. 15 in the 3400 block of South Indiana Avenue -- about a block from Chicago Police Headquarters, authorities said.

"A policeman could have been looking out the windows over there and actually see who got shot," LaDonna Coney said. "I want whoever shot my son found because you have to be crazy to walk up on him and shoot him with all those cameras over there. I want them found so they can’t do this to nobody else."

Coney said she her son was a natural artist, and she wanted him to enroll at the Art Institute of Chicago.

“He drew animated characters, and he drew Chicago,” Coney said. "He wasn’t a nine to five guy, and he could really draw with those markers, stencils and charcoal."

Neely had prior success in school and graduated from Phillips Academy High School in Bronzeville a year early, his mother said.

Much like drawing, cooking also came natural to Neely, his mother said.

“I would get meat out and say 'Walter I need you to cook this,' and he would," his mother said. "He loved it! I guess it was meditating for him.

“My son loved to barbecue -- he was a grill chef. He loved links, polishes and fish, he loved to throw fish on the grill and he loved to fry fish. Oh, that boy could fry some fish! That boy fried fish so good you thought you got it at a restaurant!”

He enjoyed cooking for his family, including numerous brothers and sisters.

"Walter was the physical strength of his siblings," Coney said. "He was the shoulders for everyone and he was look up to by everyone."

Neely had two small children, Tiyanna and Trevion, his mother said. He was out getting milk for his daughter when he was shot, said his step-grandmother, Lula Coney.

Neely took a friend with him to get milk, but when the gunfire erupted he ordered his friend to run away, Lula Coney said.

“He told his friend to run the night he got killed," Lula Coney said. "He decided to take the bullet."

“He liked to take care of people. He liked to protect people,” his mother added.

His step-grandmother said the shooting isn't the first time Neely helped others on the street, and recalled a time when he saved a child from a pitbull attack.

“The dog was after the child, but he jumped in and took the biting from the dog instead,” Lula Cooney said. “He has always tried to help people.”

Besides family, Neely had a small group of friends, many of whom he called brothers, his mother said.

"Walter was so loved," LaDonna Coney said. "You’re not going to find anyone that has something bad to say about Walter, he didn’t have any enemies."

“He is an ex offender but he was really on the road to getting himself together," his mother said.

Neely's step-grandmother said he didn't go out at night, and his mother added the night he was killed was the first night he had been outside in four months.

“He didn’t walk the streets like that anymore,” his mother said. “I never thought my son would die on these streets, he was smart and he knew people in the streets."

The Cook County medical examiner's office said Neely died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital about 30 minutes later, but his mother said her son died on the street.

“The ambulance didn’t get there in time, he died in the streets. For my son to die in the streets like that ... he was a fighter, he was out there to the very end and he was trying to fight.”

LaDonna Coney said she wished she had spoken with her son right before his death.

“If I could have just said, 'Hold on Walter' or 'What do you want me to do Walter' ... anything.”

Nobody has been charged for the murder. Area Central detectives are investigating.

A prayer vigil and flyer distribution is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 22 at 3510 S. Indiana Ave.

“He was always there for me, always. Now he’s gone, just like that. Its forever changing,” his mother said. But I do believe he’s going to heaven and he’s going to watch over me, he wouldn’t have it no other way.”

WEEK IN REVIEW: 11 killed throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 10:27:07 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Eleven people were shot to death in homicides throughout Chicago last week.

Seven of the killings happened over the weekend, when 29 other people were shot and wounded.

The most recent murders happened when 37-year-old James Sterling and 29-year-old Amy Holmes-Sterling were killed in what police are calling a domestic shooting in the 400 block of West 104th Street in Roseland about 9:55 p.m. Sunday, authorities said. A 26-year-old woman was also critically wounded.

Sterling, 37, who lived on the block, and Holmes-Sterling, 29, of the 300 block of East 53rd Street, each died at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In the Humboldt Park community, 26-year-old Kardeon Glover was shot in the head on a sidewalk in the 900 block of North Karlov Avenue about 1:15 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Glover, of the 4100 block of West Grenshaw Avenue, died at Mount Sinai Hospital less than an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Saturday, 21-year-old Damian Rodriguez and 16-year-old Jason Seballos were killed in a shooting in the 2300 block of North Springfield Avenue in the Logan Square community about 11:45 p.m. Saturday, authorities said. An 18-year-old man was also wounded in the shooting, police said.

Rodriguez, 21, of the 2300 block of South Keeler Avenue, was shot in the head and died at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, according to the medical examiner's office. Seballos, 16, of an unidentified home address, was shot in the face and back and also died at Illinois Masonic.

In the West Englewood neighborhood, 16-year-old Sharquise Buckner was shot during a drive-by shooting in the 7200 block of South Laflin Street about 12:50 a.m. Saturday, authorities said. A 20-year-old man was also wounded.

Buckner, of the 1400 block of West 72nd Street, was shot in the head and died at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Friday, 25-year-old Walter Neely was shot in the abdomen in the 3400 block of South Indiana Avenue about 11:35 p.m., authorities said. The shooting happened about a block from Chicago Police Headquarters.

Neely, of an unidentified home address, died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital less than 30 minutes later, according to the medical examiner's office.

On Thursday, 23-year-old LaDarryl Walters was shot in the head and chest in the 7600 block of South Coles Avenue in the South Shore community about 9:20 p.m., authorities said.

Walters, of the 0-100 block of West 110th Place, died a short time later at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to the medical examiner's office.

On Tuesday, 17-year-old Devonte Carthan was shot while riding his bicycle in the in the 9200 block of South Dobson Avenue in the Burnside neighborhood about 11:30 p.m., authorities said.

Carthan, of the 13200 block of South Langley Avenue, died at Advocate Trinity Hospital, according to the medical examiner's office.

In the West Pullman community, 30-year-old Julio Perkins was shot outside his home in the 11600 block of South Stewart Avenue about 2 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said. Perkins died less than an hour later at Christ Medical Center, according to the examiner’s office.

The killings started when 26-year-old Dearies Arnold was wounded in a drive-by shooting in the 7100 block of South Green Street about 7 p.m. Monday, authorities said.

Arnold, of the 7100 block of South Champlain Avenue, was shot multiple times and died less than an hour later at Christ Medical Center, authorities said.

Nobody has been charged for any of the murders.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 254 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including nine 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 some of those homicides as involuntary manslaughter, justified self-defense or accidents.

Walter Neely fatally shot in Bronzeville

Michael Lansu — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 18:29:44 -0500

Walter Neely was fatally shot about a block from Chicago Police Headquarters Friday night in the Bronzeville neighborhood.

Somebody walked up to Neely in the 3400 block of South Indiana Avenue and shot him in the abdomen about 11:35 p.m., authorities said.

Neely, 25, died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital less than 30 minutes later, authorities said. His home address was not immediately available.

The shooting happened about one block east of Chicago Police Headquarters at 3510 S. Michigan Ave.

Nobody has been charged for the murder.

Area Central detectives are investigating.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire