Man charged with April murder in Logan Square

A man has been charged with shooting a 24-year-old man to death in the Northwest Side Logan Square neighborhood in April.

Joshua Rodriguez, 23, faces one count of first-degree murder for the death of Mikal Malik Johnson on April 8, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

Johnson was in a car driven by a friend in the 2700 block of West Bloomingdale about 2:50 a.m. when they ran into Rodriguez, who was in the backseat of another car, prosecutors said. They got into an argument, and Rodriguez and his friend began following Johnson’s car.

Johnson and his friend parked on Bloomingdale Avenue and got out of the vehicle, and the other car parked as well, prosecutors said. Rodriguez, armed with a gun, and his friend got out and approached Johnson and his friend.

Johnson said they didn’t want any trouble, and started getting back into the car with his friend, prosecutors said. Rodriguez then fired four to five times in their direction.

Johnson, of the 1200 block of West Belden, was shot in the chest and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said. His friend was already in the vehicle when shots were fired and was not struck.

Rodriguez and his friend got back into their car and drove away, prosecutors said.

Video surveillance caught them following Johnson before the shooting, and the vehicle fleeing the scene after the shooting, prosecutors said. Detectives investigated the car, which led them to Rodriguez. He was then positively identified as the shooter.

Rodriguez was previously charged with aggravated battery of a police officer, residential burglary, and theft, prosecutors said.

Cook County Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. ordered Rodriguez, of the 6000 block of South Whipple, held without bond in court Thursday.