Police: 13 killed, 52 wounded in Labor Day weekend shootings

Thirteen people were killed and at least 52 others, including a pregnant woman, were wounded in shootings across Chicago over Labor Day weekend, according to Chicago Police.

The latest homicide happened about 10:45 p.m. Monday in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side. A group was standing on the sidewalk in the 2700 block of West Lexington when someone in a silver minivan opened fire, police said. One of the victims, 22-year-old Charles Smith, who lived in the 2700 block of Harvey Avenue in Berwyn, was shot in the chest and thigh and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Another 22-year-old man was shot in the chest and taken to Stroger Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said. His name has not yet been released.

Three other people were also shot and taken to Mount Sinai, police said. A 16-year-old boy was shot in the chest and listed in critical condition; a 17-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and was seriously wounded; and a 20-year-old man was shot in the right arm and buttocks and was also listed in serious condition.

Earlier Monday evening, two men were killed in a shooting near Ogden Park in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side. About 7:15 p.m., a 47-year-old man was walking his dog in the 1200 block of West Marquette when someone in a vehicle started shooting, striking him in the chest, police said. The shots also struck 24-year-old Devon D. Reavley in the chest as he ran away from the gunfire. Both men were taken to Stroger Hospital, where Reavley, who lived in the 9600 block of South Calumet, was pronounced dead at 8:40 p.m., authorities said. The 47-year-old man also died at Stroger. His name has not been released. It was unclear if either of the victims were intended targets.

About 30 minutes earlier in the same neighborhood, a light-colored car pulled up to 31-year-old LaShawn Carr in the 900 block of West 58th Street about 6:45 p.m., and someone inside it shot him in the back. Carr, of the 5900 block of South Emerald, was taken to St. Bernard Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:07 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

About 4 p.m. in Back of the Yards on the South Side, Albertano Medrano was driving in the 4500 block of South Hermitage when three people in a white van began to harass him, authorities said. Medrano kept driving away, and one of the passengers in the white van opened fire, striking him in the head, neck and back. His vehicle then crashed into three other vehicles after he was shot. Medrano, who lived in the 1800 block of West 46th Street, was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:30 p.m., police and the medical examiner’s office said.

Hours earlier in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side, the roommates of a 22-year-old Enrique D. Morales found him dead about 1:30 p.m. on their driveway in the 4500 block of South Whipple, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Morales was shot in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:45 p.m. Area Central detectives were conducting a homicide investigation.

Monday morning, a man was killed and another wounded in more Englewood violence. David Baldwin, 24, was shot in the head about 9:30 a.m. in the 6800 block of South Emerald and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died at 2:58 p.m., authorities said. He lived in the 1100 block of West 67th Street. Another man, 26, was shot in the thigh and grazed across the face. His condition was stabilized at Stroger Hospital, but he was uncooperative with investigators, police said.

About 6:20 a.m. in the South Shore neighborhood, someone walked up to an 80-year-old man in the 2800 block of East 77th Place, exchanged words with the elderly man and then shot him in the face. He died at the scene, police said. The elderly man’s name has not yet been released. Ted Merchant, 67, has been charged with one felony count of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting.

Late Sunday in the same neighborhood, two gunmen walked up to 17-year-old Jamel Rollins about 10:30 p.m. in the 7800 block of South Cornell and shot him in the back. Rollins, of the 5800 block of West Fullerton, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:46 p.m., authorities said.

Just after 6 p.m. Sunday, officers responding to a call of more Back of the Yards neighborhood gunfire in the 5200 block of South Sangamon found 19-year-old Korry Rogers shot multiple times. Rogers was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:24 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 5600 block of South Throop.

Less than an hour earlier, a 45-year-old man was killed and a 27-year-old wounded in another Englewood shooting. Robert L. Porter Jr. and the younger man were unloading boxes in an alley in the 6700 block of South Green when someone dressed in black walked up and fired shots, authorities said. Porter, of the 7300 block of South Green, was shot across the torso and chest and taken to Christ Medical Center, where he died at 6:02 p.m. The other man was taken to the same hospital in serious condition with wounds to the chest, back and wrist, police said.

The holiday weekend’s first fatal shooting happened early Sunday in the Archer Heights neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Juan Pita-Rosas, 32, was standing in an alley with a 22-year-old man shortly after midnight in the 4800 block of South Kildare when they heard gunfire and both felt pain, authorities said. Pita-Rosas, who lived in the 4700 block of South Springfield, was shot in the head and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:05 a.m. The younger man suffered gunshot wounds to the arm and chest and later showed up at Holy Cross Hospital in serious condition.

The latest nonfatal attack happened about 3 a.m. Tuesday in the West Englewood neighborhood on the South Side. A 20-year-old man was walking down the street in the 6300 block of South Winchester when he heard gunshots and realized he’d been struck, police said. He suffered a gunshot wound to the back and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized. A police source said the man is gang affiliated.

The latest nonfatal attack happened about 3 a.m. Tuesday in the West Englewood neighborhood on the South Side. A 20-year-old man was walking down the street in the 6300 block of South Winchester when he heard gunshots and realized he’d been struck, police said. He suffered a gunshot wound to the back and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized. A police source said the man is gang affiliated.

About 3:15 p.m., a 23-year-old pregnant woman and 25 year-old man were shot on a porch in the 900 block of West 53rd Street when someone walked up and opened fire, hitting her in the abdomen and him in the back, police said. They were taken to Stroger Hospital, where the woman was listed in serious condition and the man critical. Family members said the woman was due to deliver her first baby boy at the end of September.

At least 43 more people were wounded in shootings across Chicago between 9 p.m. Friday and 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. Last year, 54 people were shot—8 fatally—over Labor Day weekend.