A man was denied bail Sunday after allegedly shooting a longtime friend and later returning to the scene in Fernwood to attack him again as he died.
“Are you dead yet?” 38-year-old Terrence Chaney was quoted as allegedly saying in a bond proffer read during his initial court hearing.
Chaney was charged with first-degree murder in the early Friday slaying of 47-year-old Amando Shipp. Before ordering him held without bail, Judge John Lyke said the “utter cruelty” alleged in the case was shocking.
Assistant State’s Attorney Carolyn Nevin said Chaney picked up Shipp Thursday and they drove together to Indiana to exchange cigarettes. When they returned to the city just before midnight, the pair started arguing while allegedly looking for prostitutes and eventually started fighting outside Chaney’s Chevrolet Equinox in the 500 block of West 105th Street.
After punching and stomping Shipp for three minutes, three witnesses heard Chaney allegedly warn that his friend of more than 30 years was “going to die” as he returned to the SUV to retrieve something Shipp “didn’t think he had.” That’s when Chaney allegedly grabbed a gun and shot Shipp three or four times while he was on the ground, Nevin said.
When Chaney drove off, one of the witnesses called police, Nevin said. Chaney then returned to the scene and allegedly began punching and kicking Shipp again, asking if he was “dead yet” as he held a gun. Nevin said he then took off again, with one of the witnesses calling police and reporting which direction he was traveling.
Shortly after midnight, Shipp was pronounced dead, officials said.
Officers ultimately tracked Chaney’s SUV to the 400 block of West 104th Street, where he drove onto the gravel lining the railroad tracks that created a dead end, according to Nevin. After getting stuck, he allegedly tossed the gun and then crashed into the police cruiser when he tried to reverse the SUV.
He was then taken into custody, according to Nevin, who said two of the witnesses to the attack positively identified him. Nevin added that Chaney has five misdemeanor convictions and an outstanding warrant from Georgia for driving under the influence.
Assistant Public Defender Courtney Smallwood described Chaney as a lifelong Chicagoan who works as a union roofer and also receives public assistance. Smallwood said Chaney could get up to $40,000 from his family to post bail, noting that he lives with his mother and brother and has three children.
Smallwood claimed that evidence will show the fighting was mutual and that Chaney has denied punching and kicking Shipp for three minutes. In calling the case against her client “weak,” she said only one bullet and shell casing were found at the scene and that it was dark when the witnesses identified him.
Lyke shot back, saying the evidence was strong and remarking on Chaney’s alleged “cruelty” as he ordered him held at Cook County Jail. The judge set Chaney’s next court date for Monday.
