Man shot in Fernwood dies 2 days later

A 23-year-old Fernwood man died two days after being shot earlier this week in the Far South Side neighborhood where he lived, authorities said.

Melvin Howard Jr. was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn after reports that he was shot in the head at 9:19 p.m. Wednesday in the 10200 block of South State, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived less than a mile away.

Police later said doctors did not believe Howard was shot, but instead had suffered “blunt force trauma from an unknown source.”

An autopsy performed Saturday found that Howard died of complications from a gunshot wound to the head and his death was ruled a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said.

Police could not provide additional information about the shooting Saturday evening, which is under investigation by Area South detectives.