William Allen | Homicide Watch Chicago

David Radford charged with murder in South Chicago shooting death of William Allen

Michael Lansu — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 14:36:03 -0500

David Radford / Photo from Chicago Police

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

A second man has been charged with murder for the July shooting death of William Allen in the South Chicago neighborhood.

Allen was talking with a 19-year-old woman and 47-year-old man on a porch near East 80th Street and South Muskegon Avenue when David Radford and Deonta Noble approached and asked Allen about his gang affiliation about 11:20 p.m. July 6, authorities said.

Radford accused Allen of being affiliated with the Mafia gang, and Radford and Noble opened fire on Allen and the woman, said Assistant State’s Attorney Beth Novy.

Allen, 25, of the 3500 block of South State Street, was shot in the head and hand and died the next day at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Allen, who had a twin brother, worked two jobs to help support his daughter, according to a Giveforward.com page.

The man and woman were also wounded, but survived, police said.

Witnesses identified both Radford and Noble, and provided police with photos from their Facebook pages, Novy said. They later identified both alleged shooters in a lineup.

William Allen / Photo from Facebook

Radford, 21, was charged with first-degree murder this week and Judge Peggy Chiampas ordered him held without bond during a Friday hearing where his mother left the courtroom sobbing.

Radford’s attorney said he works for a packing company.

Noble, 17, of the 7500 block of South Phillips Avenue, was charged with murder in July and is currently being held without bond. He had previously been convicted of residential burglary in 2009 and criminal trespass to a vehicle in 2008.

-- Contributing: Rummana Hussain

Prosecutors: Deonta Noble accused William Allen of being in a gang before fatal shooting

Michael Lansu — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 15:46:02 -0500

William Allen / Photo from Facebook

BY KALEY FOWLER
Homicide Watch Chicago

Deonta Noble was ordered held without bond Wednesday after prosecutors said he fatally shot William Allen this month in the South Chicago neighborhood.

Allen was talking with a 19-year-old woman and 47-year-old man on a porch near East 80th Street and South Muskegon Avenue when Noble and an acquaintance approached and asked Allen about his gang affiliation about 11:20 p.m., authorities said.

When Noble's acquaintance accused Allen of being affiliated with the Mafia gang the two opened fire on Allen and the woman, said Assistant State's Attorney Beth Novy.

Allen, 25, of the 3500 block of South State Street, was shot in the head and hand and died the next day at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Allen, who had a twin brother, worked two jobs to help support his daughter, according to a Giveforward.com page.

The man and woman were also wounded, but survived, police said.

Witnesses identified Noble and his acquaintance, and provided police with photos from their Facebook pages, Novy said. They later identified Noble in a lineup.

Noble, 17, of the 7500 block of South Phillips Avenue, was charged with murder and Judge Donald Panarese ordered him held without bond on Wednesday.

He had previously been convicted of residential burglary in 2009 and criminal trespass to a vehicle in 2008.

Noble's acquaintance has not yet been charged.

WEEK IN REVIEW: 12 dead from Chicago shootings

Michael Lansu — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 09:51:49 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Twelve people died last week from shootings throughout Chicago.

Three of the shootings happened early last Monday at the end of a bloody Independence Day weekend that saw 13 people killed and 58 others wounded by gunfire.

The last shooting of the week happened when a gunman walked up to 28-year-old William Lewis in the 1300 block of West Devon Avenue and shot him in the head 3:20 p.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Lewis, of the 4700 block of North Hermitage Avenue, died at Presence Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston less than an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In the Chicago Lawn neighborhood, 27-year-old Adarrius Thompson and his 50-year-old mother were shot during a domestic dispute at their home in the 6200 block of South Rockwell Street, authorities said.

Thompson was shot in the chest and died at the scene. His mother was also shot in the chest and was hospitalized at Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition, authorities said.

On Friday, 32-year-old Damion Bryant was shot in the head just outside his home in the 5200 block of West Quincy Street in the Austin neighborhood and died at the scene about 8 p.m., authorities said. Three other people were wounded in the shooting but survived.

On Wednesday, Jasmine Curry -- a pregnant 24-year-old mother of five -- was shot while in a minivan traveling south on the Dan Ryan Expressway near 59th Street, family said.

“I just don’t understand young people in Chicago today,” said her father, Pierre Curry. “They don’t give a damn. They ain’t got no heart.”

Jasmine Curry’s death comes slightly less than a year after her brother Pierce L. Curry was fatally shot while riding in a vehicle on the South Side in the early morning hours of Aug. 27, 2013.

On Tuesday, 23-year-old Bruce Wright was shot while riding a bicycle in the 900 block of North Hamlin Avenue about 10:10 p.m., authorities said. Wright, of the 0-100 block of North Hamlin Avenue, was shot in the head and died at the scene.

Wright was previously wounded in the left forearm just six days earlier — on July 2. He told police he heard shots and felt pain in his arm.

On Sept. 2, he was shot in his left wrist during a drive-by shooting, police said.

In the Washington Heights neighborhood, 17-year-old Marcel Pearson and a 15-year-old acquaintance had just left a store and were walking through Robichaux Park in the 9200 block of South Eggleston Avenue when a white van pulled up about 10 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said. A gunman exited and opened fire — hitting Pearson in the chest and back, police said.

Pearson, of the 1400 block of West 114th Place, was dead at the scene by the time emergency personnel arrived, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Friends said Pearson played basketball at Johnson College Prep High School was about to start at Western Illinois University.

On Monday, 19-year-old Jaynisha Scheffer was walking with a group in the 2200 block of West 69th Street when someone rode up on a bicycle and opened fire at 7:05 p.m., authorities said.

Scheffer, of the 7600 block of South Paulina Street, was shot in the back and died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn later that night, authorities said.

In the South Chicago neighborhood, 24-year-old Joey Henderson was shot in the 8400 block of South Buffalo Avenue when he was shot about 2:20 a.m. Monday, authorities said.

Henderson, who lived on the block, was shot in the back, chest, right arm and eye and died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital about an hour later, authorities said.

In the Washington Heights neighborhood, 19-year-old Cassius White and a 16-year-old acquaintance were shot in the 9600 block of South Sangamon Avenue about 12:30 a.m. Monday, authorities said.

White, of the 8200 block of South Dante Avenue, was shot in the abdomen area and died later that day at Christ Medical Center, according to the medical examiner’s office. The 16-year-old was also wounded, but survived, police said.

The killings started when 44-year-old Tonya Gunn was leaning against a car and talking to her cousin after a cookout at her grandfather’s house in the 10900 block of South Throop Street when gunshots rang out about 12:30 a.m. Monday, authorities said.

Gunn, who lived on the block, was shot in the side and died less than an hour later at Roseland Community Hospital.

“As far as her being in the wrong place at the wrong time — I can’t say that,” Gunn’s cousin, Annette Scott, said.

Additionally, two people died last week from earlier gunshot wounds.

William Allen, 25, of the 3500 block of South State Street, died last Monday after being shot June 6 near East 80th Street and South Muskegon Avenue, authorities said. Two other men were wounded, but survived.

Debra Escobedo, 49, died Monday afternoon after being shot about 3 a.m. June 1 in the 2700 block of West 24th Street, authorities said. Escobedo, of the 3100 block of South Green Street, was talking with a group outside a bar when a gunman approached and opened fire, police and family said.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 216 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.

William Allen fatally shot in South Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 20:33:21 -0500

William Allen was killed in the South Chicago neighborhood shooting that left two others wounded early Sunday.

Allen, 25, was with a 47-year-old man and 19-year-old woman near East 80th Street and South Muskegon Avenue when gunfire erupted about 11:20 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Allen, of the 3500 block of South State Street, and died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital at 2:27 p.m. Monday, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

The man and woman were also wounded, but survived, police said.

Nobody has been charged for the murder.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire

Area South detectives are investigating.