Riverdale man held on $1.5 million bond in shooting of off-duty Chicago police officer

A south suburban Riverdale man was ordered held on $1.5 million bond Thursday after authorities alleged he shot his 2-year-old son’s grandmother, an off-duty Chicago cop, while the little boy ran to him.

Anthony Gates, 28, faces charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm.

Gates was angry with his ex-girlfriend — the mother of his son — because he believed she was seeing another man and he felt he wasn’t getting to see his son enough, authorities said.

Gates went to the woman’s South Shore home in the 2200 block of East 68^th Street on Tuesday night, but she wasn’t home.

Anthony Gates / photo from Chicago Police

As Gates was leaving, the woman and her mother, Samella Ramirez, 49, an off-duty officer, pulled up in their car.

Gates started arguing with his ex-girlfriend as her mother got the couple’s son out of the car.

Gates allegedly went back to his car, got a gun and — as his son ran to him — started shooting at Ramirez, prosecutors said.

Ramirez tried to get out of the car but fell; Gates allegedly shot at her about 10 times, at one point standing over her and shooting, prosecutors said.

As Ramirez’s daughter tried to run away, Gates allegedly shot her in the leg.

She eventually got away and Gates took his son and fled in his black Chevrolet Impala.

Gates has a history of domestic abuse with his Ramirez’s daughter, prosecutors said.

He was sentenced to two years of probation for forgery in 2006, records show.

He and the boy were found about 3½ hours later at a family member’s apartment on the Near North Side. The boy was unharmed.

Police later executed a search warrant on his car and found the gun they think was used in the shooting.

Ramirez’s daughter was treated for her injury and released from the hospital while Ramirez remains in critical condition with two bullet wounds to her face, two to her left wrist, three to her right wrist and one to her knee.

Ramirez’s daughter late Wednesday posted on Facebook that she had visited her mother in the hospital: “Prayer Definitely Changes Things My Momma Is Conscious & Responsive Thank God,” she wrote. She also wrote that her mother was unable to talk, but was trying.

Ramirez has received 11 honorable mentions over her 24-year career, Chicago Police First Deputy Supt. Al Wysinger said.

Earlier on Tuesday, before the shooting, Ramirez had posted a status on Facebook to commemorate Veterans Day: “Happy Veterans Day to all veterans thank you for your service and all the veterans in my family.”

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