A parolee identified by one of his victims under his nickname, “Jackknife,” was denied bail Thursday on charges that he shot two men, one fatally, last month in Lawndale on the West Side.
No motive was given in court by Cook County prosecutors for why Jackknife, whose real name is Napoleon Sharkey, allegedly targeted the two men Jan. 10 outside a corner store in the 700 block of South California Avenue.
But, prosecutors said, witness statements and surveillance video connect Sharkey to the shooting and show he was the gunman.
Judge Arthur Wesley Willis said he found Sharkey to be a danger to the community, pointing to Sharkey currently being on parole for unlawful use of a weapon by a felon — his second conviction for that charge.
“No bail,” Wilis said simply at the end of the hearing.
A man who came to court and said he was Sharkey’s brother said there was no way Sharkey had committed the shooting, but declined to comment further.
About 6 p.m. on the day of the shooting, a Chicago police POD camera recorded Sharkey following 34-year-old Maurice Jones and another man, 39, as they drove in a white Nissan Altima to a corner store at Lexington Street and California Avenue to purchase cigarettes, prosecutors said.
While the two men were talking to Jones’ cousin and another witness outside the store, Sharkey pulled up in a white Infiniti SUV and held them at gunpoint from the driver’s side window, prosecutors said.
The 39-year-old immediately recognized Sharkey as “Jackknife,” who he had known for 10 years, prosecutors said. As Sharkey slowly turned the corner, still pointing the gun at the men, the 39-year-old turned and began running and heard a series of gunshots as he fled, prosecutors said.
The 39-year-old was struck in the buttocks, and when he looked behind him he saw Jones lying on the ground, prosecutors said. The 39-year-old ran to tell Jones’ family what happened and was taken to a hospital. Jones was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, but was pronounced dead of multiple gunshot wounds, according to authorities.
Six Smith and Wesson .40-caliber shell casings were recovered from the scene.
The 39-year-old identified Jones by his nickname the same day and also identified him in a photo array, prosecutors said.
Eight different POD cameras tracked Sharkey’s Infiniti after the shooting, prosecutors said, and a cell phone number Sharkey gave the Illinois Department of Corrections when he was paroled showed the phone was in the area at the time of the shooting and matched the locations of the Infiniti as it drove off, prosecutors said.
Sharkey was taken into custody while driving the Infinity, which is registered to his girlfriend, on Tuesday in Austin, court records show.
In addition to the two weapons convictions, Sharkey has previously been convicted of multiple drug offenses, prosecutors said.
An assistant public defender said Sharkey was working as a janitor and had strong family ties to the community.
After denying bail, Judge Willis set Sharkey’s next court date for Feb. 24.