Police: 12 dead, 43 wounded in Memorial Day weekend shootings

SHARE Police: 12 dead, 43 wounded in Memorial Day weekend shootings
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A 4-year-old girl and 17-year-old boy were both wounded in a shooting while they were in a SUV in the West Englewood neighborhood Friday night, May 22, 2015. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times Media

Twelve people were killed and at least 43 others—including a 4-year-old girl—were wounded in shootings across Chicago over a bloody Memorial Day weekend.

The 4-year-old, identified by her family as Jacele Johnson, was shot about 8 p.m. Friday in the West Englewood neighborhood. She and her 17-year-old cousin Romare Wilson were inside an SUV in the 7000 block of South Justine when another vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire, according to the family and Chicago Police.

Jacele was shot in the head and taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in critical condition, authorities said. She has since been upgraded to fair condition.

The teen was shot in the chest and grazed by a bullet in the neck. He was in serious condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. A 15-year-old girl standing on a sidewalk nearby was shot in the forehead and taken to Stroger Hospital, where her condition stabilized, police said.

The weekend’s most recent fatal shooting happened Monday night in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side.

Ronnie Shaw Jr. was walking in the 4900 block of West Erie about 7:50 p.m. when a male suspect confronted him and pulled a gun, authorities said. Shaw tried to run away as the suspect began firing, but was struck in the back and leg, police said. Officers nearby heard the shots and found him lying in the middle of the street with numerous gunshot wounds.

Shaw, of the 4900 block of West Ferdinand, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 8:38 p.m., authorities said. Police said he was affiliated with a gang and the shooting may have been gang-related.

Earlier Monday evening, a 19-year-old man died after he was shot less than two blocks south of the Chicago Police Department’s Bronzeville neighborhood headquarters.

Robert Richmond was riding in a vehicle in the 0-100 block of East 36th Place about 5:25 p.m. when numerous shots were fired from a dark-colored vehicle, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Richmond, of the 6100 block of South King Drive, was shot in the back and driven by a family member to Stroger Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 7:46 p.m., authorities said. Detectives are investigating whether the shooting is gang-related because Richmond was a documented gang member, police said.

A 29-year-old man died after he was shot Monday afternoon in the Irving Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side.

Felix Diaz was in the passenger seat of a vehicle when another vehicle pulled up and someone inside got out and fired shots, authorities said.

Diaz, of the 3300 block of West Belle Plaine, was shot multiple times in the upper torso and taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 4:40 p.m., authorities said.

A police source said he was a documented gang member, and the shooting may have been gang-related.

Two teen boys were shot — one fatally — in Bronzeville on Sunday night.

The boys, 14 and 15, were outside in the 4400 block of South Cottage Grove about 8:15 p.m. when someone fired shots from a light-colored sedan, police said. Emergency crews found the older boy unresponsive in an alley with a gunshot wound in his back.

Raheem Dameron, 15, of the 5600 block of South Justine, was pronounced dead at the scene, the medical examiner’s office said. The younger boy was shot in the foot and taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where his condition stabilized. Police said the 15-year-old had documented gang ties.

On Sunday afternoon, a 20-year-old man was fatally shot in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side. He was driving in the 3300 block of West Division about 4 p.m. when a dark-colored SUV pulled up and someone inside fired shots, police said. He was shot in the chest and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died, police said.

Less than an hour earlier, a man was killed in a drive-by shooting in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side.

About 3:20 p.m., LaSean Barnes, 38, was in the 3200 block of West Maypole when someone fired shots from a passing beige conversion van, authorities said. The van then drove off east on Maypole.

Barnes, of the 3000 block of West Polk, was shot in the right side of his abdomen and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:25 p.m., the medical examiner’s office said.

Early Sunday morning, a woman died in a shooting which injured two others at a party in West Englewood. About 12:45 a.m., four people were denied entry to a party in the 6100 block of South Honore, police said.

The four males then surrounded the party and opened fire, striking three people outside, including Deja Atwood, 29, authorities said. She was shot in the chest and leg, and taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where she died.

A 39-year-old man shot in the chest was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition, and a 25-year-old man shot in the arm was taken to Holy Cross, where his condition stabilized, police said.

Minutes earlier, one man was killed and another wounded in a shooting in South Shore. They were standing on the sidewalk in the 7900 block of South East End Avenue at 12:27 a.m. when a gunman fired shots, police said.

Xavier Shannon, who lived on the same block, was shot in the neck and pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. The other man was shot in the buttocks and took himself to Jackson Park Hospital, where his condition stabilized.

About 11:45 p.m. Saturday, a man was found shot to death in an alley in the Albany Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side. Daniel Rivera, 27, was found unresponsive with a gunshot wound to his face in an alley in the 4700 block of North Albany, authorities said.

Rivera, who lived in the 7200 block of North Damen, was pronounced dead at the scene, the medical examiner’s office said.

Earlier Saturday afternoon, a 24-year-old man was found fatally shot in Austin. Charlie R. Weathers had a gunshot wound to the head when officers found him about 12:45 p.m. in the 0-100 block of North Laramie, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Weathers, of the 5000 block of West West End Avenue, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:01 p.m., authorities said.

Early Saturday morning, a 20-year-old south suburban man was found shot to death in University Village, police said.

Darius Lee was discovered unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds in the 1000 block of West 14th Place about 2:10 a.m. Saturday, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Lee, of the 3400 block of West Hummingbird Court in Matteson, was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:51 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.

The holiday weekend’s first fatal shooting happened about 1:45 a.m. Saturday in Wicker Park. Carlos F. Marino, 34, was sitting on the front porch of a home with two other people in the 1700 block of West Pierce when someone walked up and opened fire, authorities said.

Marino, who lived in the same block, was struck in the chest and shoulder, and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:34 a.m., authorities said.

At least 35 others have been shot since Friday night.

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