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Tag: chicago crime

A 15-year-old girl was fatally shot in front of her siblings while fleeing an attempted robbery on Chicago’s South Side, according to her family.

Demea Morris’ family stated that she and her siblings were attempting to flee an attempted robbery when they were shot at.

Demea’s family said the 15-year-old was ambitious and trying to make her way in the world.

“She was in the middle of nursing school, a 15-year-old girl. Most of them don’t really care about much. She was building her future,” said Toni Turner, Demea’s aunt. “She loved dancing, laughing, playing, cracking jokes. She loved excelling.”

But her future was snatched away in an Easter morning tragedy. Morris was shot in the head in the backseat of an SUV near 106th and Sangamon in the Washington Heights neighborhood on Sunday morning, according to Chicago police.

Morris’ family said she was in the SUV with her siblings, who witnessed the entire incident after surviving another terrifying situation prior to the shooting.

“They were in the middle of being robbed, and got away from the people who were trying to rob them, and they shot after them,” Turner said. “In the midst of pulling off of getting away from avoiding getting robbed they started getting shot at and they tried to go to the hospital while on the phone with police and they (police) pulled them over because they were able to track them down.”

Morris’ family paid tribute to her life in Jackie Robinson Park on Monday night.

“You took a lovely person, you understand. She was very smart, very intelligent and very witty,” Turner said. “For some bum to want to be greedy, and take something from somebody? You took more than what you could even imagine.”

Their cries for a lost life were as audible as their cries for justice.

“Say something. A parent-parents are suffering. Siblings are suffering,” Turner said.

The family, in collaboration with the Andrew Holmes Foundation and All Kids Matter, is offering a $13,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

“What you did and the decision you made was wrong. This wasn’t a mistaken identity. This was first degree murder,” said community activist Andrew Holmes.

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According to Chicago police, a man was pistol whipped during an armed robbery outside Martyrs’ bar in North Center.

A man was pistol whipped outside Martyrs’ bar in North Center early Sunday morning, according to Chicago police.

Police said a 22-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman were outside the bar after working a concert at the space in the 1900-block of West Byron when four men got out of a dark colored sedan and flashed guns.

According to police, the armed men demanded the victims’ property and handed it over. During the robbery, the man was “struck about the head” with a gun, according to police. The woman was unharmed.

The suspects took off in their vehicle. According to police, the man refused medical treatment at the scene.

Martyrs management confirmed the incident and expressed gratitude that “the two victims were not seriously injured,” but declined to comment further.

There is currently no one in custody. Chicago police are conducting an investigation.

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‘A special kid,’ a high school sports star was killed near the United Center just days after his 16th birthday.

Darrion Williams turned 16 just one week ago.

His stepmother stated that he was overjoyed to be celebrating this weekend. A birthday party was planned for this Saturday, but sadly, it will now be canceled.

Williams’ family is still coming to terms with the fact that their fun-loving 16-year-old son is no longer with them.

“They took a special kid away. They did,” said Audrey Welch-Williams, the victim’s stepmother. “It tore me up, because I had just spoken with him, and he said, ‘I love you too.’ And I’m like, that was the last thing that I got from him.”

According to Chicago police, around 11 p.m. on Friday, Williams was walking on the sidewalk in the 2100 block of West Randolph Street when someone wearing dark clothing began shooting at him. Williams was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died shortly afterwards.

“He had a lot of people and mentors that were in his life. So, it wasn’t like he strayed away. He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Welch-Williams said.

His stepmother described him as a playful and sometimes shy child from a loving family. Williams also excelled in football and basketball at Crane Medical Prep High School on Chicago’s Near West Side.

He was only a sophomore, but he was already an important member of both varsity teams.

“We had anticipations for him going to prom, and maybe probably even getting drafted from somewhere, because he was totally varsity, and he did both sports and he did them well,” Welch-Williams said.

Those hopes were dashed as the happy times they shared became memories.

“I want everybody to know that he was a beautiful kid. And what happened, he didn’t deserve it,” Welch-Williams said.

As of now, no one is in custody, according to Chicago police, as detectives continue their investigation.

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Police report 21 shootings in Chicago over the weekend, four of which were fatal.

According to police, at least 21 people were shot over the weekend in Chicago, with four fatalities.

On Saturday, a would-be robber was shot while attempting to rob an O’Reilly Auto Parts store. According to police, a man entered the store near 91st and Stony Island, brandished a gun, and demanded cash. The suspect was then shot by the store manager, who police say is a valid FOID card holder. The suspect was taken to the University of Calgary Hospital in critical condition. He was later declared dead. Detectives from Area Two are currently investigating.

A man was found shot to death in Lawndale just hours before. Officers received a report of shots fired in the 3900 block of West Flournoy Street, according to Chicago police. When they arrived, they discovered a 32-year-old man unconscious on the ground around 1:10 a.m. He was shot in the back of the head and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police. There was no one in custody.

Another man was killed in a shooting near the United Center on the Near West Side on Friday night. According to Chicago police, the man, whose age was unknown, was on the sidewalk in the 2100 block of West Randolph Street when someone wearing dark clothing approached him and opened fire around 11 p.m. He was shot in the chest and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died, according to police. There was no one in custody.

A 14-year-old girl was critically injured when shots fired on the street struck her inside her home on Chicago’s Far South Side, according to police. The shooting occurred shortly before 1:30 a.m. According to police, the incident occurred Saturday in the 12600 block of South Lowe Avenue in the West Pullman neighborhood. According to police, the girl felt pain immediately after hearing the shots. She had two bullet wounds in her thigh. No one is in custody, and Area Two detectives are looking into it.

A man was also injured in a shooting in Albany Park on Chicago’s Northwest Side on Sunday morning. Officers discovered the man, 24, with gunshot wounds to his lower back in the 2800 block of West Wilson Avenue around 6:15 a.m., according to Chicago police. According to police, he was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center and was in fair condition. Officials said the injured man and two others were taken into custody. Detectives were looking into the incident’s circumstances.

This report was assisted by the Sun-Times Media Wire.

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Chicago shootings: At least 14 people were shot and three were killed in weekend gun violence across the city, according to police.

According to police, at least 14 people were shot over the weekend, three of whom died.

On Saturday, a would-be robber was shot while attempting to rob an O’Reilly Auto Parts store. According to police, a man entered the store near 91st and Stony Island, brandished a gun, and demanded cash. The suspect was then shot by the store manager, who police say is a valid FOID card holder. The suspect was taken to the University of Calgary Hospital in critical condition. He was later declared dead. Detectives from Area Two are currently investigating.

A man was found shot to death in Lawndale just hours before. Officers received a report of shots fired in the 3900 block of West Flournoy Street, according to Chicago police. When they arrived, they discovered a 32-year-old man unconscious on the ground around 1:10 a.m. He was shot in the back of the head and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police. There was no one in custody.

Another man was killed in a shooting near the United Center on the Near West Side on Friday night. According to Chicago police, the man, whose age was unknown, was on the sidewalk in the 2100 block of West Randolph Street when someone wearing dark clothing approached him and opened fire around 11 p.m. He was shot in the chest and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died, according to police. There was no one in custody.

A 14-year-old girl was critically injured when shots fired on the street struck her inside her home on Chicago’s Far South Side, according to police. The shooting occurred shortly before 1:30 a.m. According to police, the incident occurred Saturday in the 12600 block of South Lowe Avenue in the West Pullman neighborhood. According to police, the girl felt pain immediately after hearing the shots. She had two bullet wounds in her thigh. No one is in custody, and Area Two detectives are looking into it.

A man was also injured in a shooting in Albany Park on Chicago’s Northwest Side on Sunday morning. Officers discovered the man, 24, with gunshot wounds to his lower back in the 2800 block of West Wilson Avenue around 6:15 a.m., according to Chicago police. According to police, he was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center and was in fair condition. Officials said the injured man and two others were taken into custody. Detectives were looking into the incident’s circumstances.

This report was assisted by the Sun-Times Media Wire.

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Police say 4 7-Eleven shops on Chicago’s North and West Sides were robbed at gunpoint.

According to police, at least four Chicago 7-Eleven stores were targeted in armed robberies early Wednesday morning.

Police have not stated whether any of the robberies are linked.

At about 1:10 a.m., the first robbery was reported in the 900 block of West Monroe Street. According to police, two male suspects armed with handguns entered the 7-Eleven, announced a robbery, and stole cash from two cash registers.

According to police, the suspects also stole the keys to a customer’s 2017 black Jeep Cherokee, which they then fled in.

Another store in the 500 block of West Grenshaw Street was robbed around 1:45 a.m., according to police.

According to police, two male suspects armed with handguns entered the store and stole money from two cash registers. They then fled in a black SUV, according to police.

At about 3:11 a.m., police reported a third 7-Eleven robbery in the 2700 block of West Touhy Avenue.

According to police, two male suspects entered the store armed with handguns and stole money from two registers. They then fled on foot, and it is unknown if they got into a vehicle, according to police.

The fourth robbery happened around 3:15 a.m. in the 6800 block of North Western Avenue.

According to police, two male suspects entered the convenience store armed with handguns and stole cash from two registers. They then fled in a black SUV, according to police.

No one has been arrested in connection with any of the robberies, and no injuries have been reported. Area Three detectives are looking into the matter.

Just two days ago, Chicago police issued a business alert warning of four similar overnight robberies at 7-Eleven, most of which occurred on the city’s North Side.

In one of those robberies, police said a suspect jumped out of a vehicle and pointed a black and gray 9mm gun with a blue laser attachment.

The four robberies in the police alert occurred in:

-6800 West North Ave. at 02:42 a.m.

-1153 West Belmont Ave. at 3:37 a.m.

-2341 West Belmont Ave. at 3:50 a.m.

-2366 North Damen Ave. at 4:00 a.m.

Police said the suspects in each of the four robberies listed in the alert were seen in a black SUV.

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Three juveniles are facing charges after crashing a stolen vehicle on Chicago’s South Side.

On the city’s South Side, three male juveniles were injured in a crash involving a stolen vehicle.

The incident occurred around 9:18 p.m. Thursday in the Chatham neighborhood’s 8300 block of South State Street.

Officers arrived to find two vehicles involved in the crash. According to police, a red sedan traveling northbound on 83rd Street collided with a vehicle traveling eastbound on the same street.

According to police, the striking vehicle was later identified as stolen. The three male juveniles inside the vehicle were apprehended and taken to Comer Children’s Hospital and St. Bernard Hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries.

The other vehicle’s driver was not hurt.

Charges are pending.

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Lakeview robbery: A man was robbed at gunpoint while leaving a North Side gym, according to Chicago police.

According to Chicago police, a man was robbed at gunpoint while leaving a North Side gym early Monday morning.

The man was walking toward his vehicle around 4:15 a.m. in the 3200 block of North Ashland Avenue in Lakeview when two male suspects approached him and demanded his belongings, according to CPD.

The man cooperated, and no injuries were reported.

Area Three Detectives are looking into it.

CPD said another robbery involving the same suspects occurred about 10 minutes later in the 2100 block of North Ashland.

According to police, a 50-year-old man was outside when a dark SUV approached and the suspects emerged armed with guns. According to CPD, the suspects demanded his belongings, and the victim complied.

The suspects fled south on Ashland.

There were no reported injuries, and Area Five detectives are investigating.

Later that morning, no one was taken into custody.

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After nearly 30 years in prison, a Chicago man was released after his murder conviction was overturned.

A Chicago man was released from prison after a judge overturned his murder conviction because prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to retry him.

Lee Harris has been proclaiming his innocence from behind bars for decades, and ABC7 was there moments after he was finally released from Crest Hill’s Stateville Prison.

His family and attorney greeted him.

“If you believe it, you can achieve it. And, I didn’t know when or how long, but they weren’t going to carry me out of there,” he said.

Lee was convicted of murder in the death of Dana Feitler in 1992. She was shot and killed in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood in 1989 after withdrawing $400 from an ATM.

The lead detective on the case, according to Harris, tortured him and forced him to confess.

“In my early years, they couldn’t have sat down with me. But, you know, as you grow older, I know they’re not thinking about me, so why should I waste time thinking about them?” he said.

Harris was surrounded by his only son, family, friends, and the attorneys who fought for his release at Manzo’s Burger in Morgan Park on Thursday night. Jermaine, his son, was only seven years old when his father was imprisoned.

“He was always there. He couldn’t be physically there, but he knew what I did in football. He had his friends come and visit me,” Jermaine Harris said.

Feitler’s family said they found out about Harris’ release two days ago. They released a statement, saying in part, “Thirty-four years ago, our daughter and sister Dana Feitler, a kind, hard-working and talented 24-year-old Chicagoan was randomly abducted from the lobby of her home and murdered. Not a day has gone by where the memory of Dana has not been present in our family’s lives.”

“My heart goes out to that family because for over 33 years that family, they thought they had closure,” Harris said moments after he was released from prison. “Now the wounds have reopened. I feel so sorry for them. My heart goes out to them, I just hope them the best.”

Harris says he has a lot of family time to catch up on, and he’ll start with the Bulls game on Friday night, which he and his son plan to attend.

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5 people have been arrested in Chicago following an attempted robbery on a CTA Red Line train in the South Loop.

Several suspects were apprehended after Chicago police officers observed an attempted robbery on a CTA train Wednesday morning, according to police.

The incident happened around 3:05 a.m. on the CTA Red Line in the 1100-block of South State Street, according to police.

According to police, the suspect used pepper spray before fleeing. Five suspects were apprehended.

There were no officers hurt, but a suspect was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good condition with an unknown injury.

CTA Red Line trains were temporarily halted in the area, but normal service has since resumed.

More information was not immediately available.

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The FBI and Chicago Police Department are still looking for the suspect in the Chicago Loop bank robbery that sparked the downtown shootout.

The suspect accused of robbing a bank at gunpoint in the Loop Thursday afternoon is being sought by Chicago police and the FBI on Friday.

CWB Chicago obtained cell phone video of the suspect kneeling on the ground and stuffing money into a bag before fleeing the bank. Money can be seen fluttering in the breeze.

According to Chicago police, as the suspect was leaving, he was confronted by a security guard, and there was an exchange of gunfire.

During the incident, a bullet grazed the 59-year-old security guard.

The gunfire appeared to shatter the front windows of the bank.

The FBI released a surveillance photo and description of the suspect, who was described as a 5-foot-7-inch-tall male with a medium build, wearing a black hooded jacket, a mask, winter gloves, and blue jeans.

The robbery occurred around 3 p.m. at the Fifth Third Bank, which is located near Wacker Drive and Madison Street.

The gunshots were heard by some witnesses.

“I texted my mom, and I was like, ‘mom, I think someone just got shot downstairs,'” Abby Gasick said. “I work right next to the window, and we heard a bunch of loud gunshots.”

The security guard should be fine. He was treated on the spot.

Chicago police temporarily shut down the Ogilvie Transportation Center at 500 W. Madison to look for the suspect, but he was not found.

According to law enforcement, no one is in custody.

Fifth Third Bank released a statement, saying, “We are not able to speak to the details of the incident, but the safety of our employees, customers and the public is our utmost concern. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement authorities.”

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Police say a pregnant woman was shot and killed inside her car in Belmont Cragin while attempting to rob someone.

According to police, a pregnant woman was killed in an exchange of gunfire while attempting to rob someone in Belmont Cragin on Chicago’s Northwest Side on Monday.

Genesis Escobar, 21, entered a car in the 5200 block of West Montana Street around 1 p.m. with the intent of committing a robbery, according to Chicago police.

Genesis Escobar Iris Alvarez

According to police, gunfire was exchanged between people inside the car and someone outside. Escobar received gunshot wounds to the shoulder, back, and hand.

According to police, she was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center and pronounced dead. Friends at the scene told reporters that she was seven months pregnant and that the baby did not survive.

“When we got to the hospital, unfortunately, the baby was not able to be saved and she passed away as well,” said Iris Alvarez, who was friends with Escobar and lives near the shooting.

Alvarez and her daughter said they heard four gunshots. “We looked out the window and seen that the vehicle – someone opened the driver door, walked around the vehicle, pulled the body out and drove off,” she said.

“I feel that for a person to do that to someone, doesn’t have a heart,” Alvarez added.

There was no one in custody.

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Officials say a Cook County Jail inmate was found beaten to death in the maximum security wing.

According to officials, an inmate was beaten to death Thursday evening in the maximum security wing of the Cook County Jail.

Correctional staff discovered Marvell Reasonover, 28, unresponsive in his cell around 5:10 p.m. Thursday and “immediately began life-saving measures,” according to a statement from the Cook County sheriff’s office.

According to officials, Reasonover was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and pronounced dead. According to the Cook County medical examiner’s office, his death was caused by multiple injuries sustained during an assault and was ruled a homicide.

His cellmate was “secured and escorted out of the cell,” according to officials.

Reasonover was arrested in August 2020 for having a weapon as a felon after Chicago police officers discovered a loaded weapon in a vehicle he was driving, according to the sheriff’s office. He admitted to officers that he was the owner of the weapon.

Officials said he also allegedly stole a Jeep at gunpoint in December of that year after arranging to meet with the owner, who was advertising the Jeep, online.

Reasonover was arrested and charged with aggravated battery on a peace officer, public indecency, and criminal damage to property.

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Owners and employees of a car dealership in Des Plaines were kidnapped, beaten, and burned for hours; two suspects are in custody.

Three Des Plaines car dealership employees were kidnapped, beaten, robbed, and burned last month by two suburban men.

George P. Athanasakos, 24, of Wood Dale, and Brandon D. Bratcher, 27, of Hanover Park, face three counts of aggravated kidnapping and three counts of armed robbery.

Bratcher was also charged with residential burglary on one count.

According to police, three victims, two men and one woman, were abducted from their car dealership at 622 E. Northwest Hwy. in Des Plaines on Feb. 10.

Two of the victims are dealership owners, and the third is an employee.

The victims, Anthanasakos and Batcher, were discovered to have known each other through the purchase and refurbishment of vehicles.

The victims and Bratcher were at the dealership when several masked offenders armed with rifles and handguns entered.

The perpetrators robbed the victims of their personal belongings before binding their hands and feet, covering their heads, and forcing them into a vehicle.

The victims were then transferred to another location where they were beaten repeatedly, burned with a hot object, and restrained all evening.

The victims were then driven back to the car dealership the next morning, where the offenders demanded a large sum of money and threatened them with violence if they did not pay, according to police.

One of the victims correctly identified Athanasakos and Bratcher as suspects in this case.

Des Plaines investigators apprehended Athanasakos in Palatine on Feb. 16. Des Plaines police arrested Bratcher in Arlington Heights on March 1.

Both suspects are being held in jail without bail.

According to police, the three victims were targeted, and there is no danger to the public.

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A Chicago man has been charged with assaulting and threatening a girl on the Loop CTA platform.

A man has been charged in connection with an attack on a 16-year-old girl on a CTA platform in the Loop last month.

According to police, Lijah Graham, 45, is accused of threatening the teen and striking her arm while they were at the Harold Washington Library station at 1 W. Van Buren St.

Graham was arrested in the South Loop neighborhood on Thursday.

Police discovered Graham had a history of violent behavior toward children and was not in compliance with his annual registration.

Graham, of East Garfield Park, was charged with aggravated battery on a transit passenger and failing to register as a youth violent offender.

He is set to appear in bond court on Friday.

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A Chicago man has been charged in an East Side shooting.

A 20-year-old man was charged last month in connection with a shooting in Chicago’s East Side neighborhood.

Police say Thomas Olsen, of Chicago, was arrested on Thursday after being identified as the suspect who shot and injured a 31-year-old man on February 6 in the 10000 block of South Avenue North.

He was apprehended by the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force in the 2400 block of South Commercial Avenue.

Today, Olsen was scheduled to appear in bond court.

He is charged with aggravated battery, a felony.

At this time, no additional information is available.

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A man has been charged in the shooting death of a Chicago police officer.

The 18-year-old man accused of shooting and killing Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso has been charged by Chicago police.

According to the Chicago Police Department, Steven Montano, 18, is charged with murder, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated discharge of a firearm near a school, interfering with reporting domestic violence, and one count of assault.

According to police, Montano was shot in the head by Vasquez-Lasso and was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Vasquez-Lasso, 32, was investigating a domestic-related call in the 5200 block of South Spaulding around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday when Montano shot him, according to police.

According to CPD Supt. David Brown, Vasquez-Lasso was shot multiple times.

He was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he died later that night.

“This young officer, who had five years with the department, had a bright future ahead of him and this is something that no family should have to face,” Brown said.

Last summer, Montano and two others were arrested after fleeing a vehicle suspected of being involved in a shooting in the city’s Little Village neighborhood.

Charges against the 18-year-old were rejected by the State’s Attorney’s Office Felony Review, and a misdemeanor charge against him for resisting arrest was later dropped.

According to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, he was offered an alternative to traditional prosecution due to his age and lack of criminal history. According to the office, he completed 25 hours of community service, which is why the misdemeanor charge was dropped.

According to the medical examiner’s office, Vasquez-Lasso lived about two miles from where he was shot.

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A Chicago-based organization draws attention to a murder case dismissed by Kim Foxx.

On Thursday, a rally was held at the Cook County Jail by a Little Village organization. They wanted to draw attention to some cases they believe were wrongfully dismissed.

The organization emphasized the case of Victor Alejandro Garcia de Alva, who was assassinated in 2020.

His case should be reopened and reviewed, according to the group.

“The family deserves the right to know the original cause of death of their loved one. They don’t deserve to be told bureaucracy on and on, with a story that is not accurate with the cause of death,” said Kristin Armendariz, Community Organizer, Little Village Community Council.

FOX 32 sought comment from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. They issued the following statement:

“Upon a review of the evidence in this case, which included an eyewitness account, the evidence was insufficient to support a charge of first-degree murder where there was evidence of self-defense and defense of others.  The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office has met with the victim’s family on several occasions since his death, including today. We understand that the death of a loved one is tragic, and we continue to offer support for their grief.”
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A man from Joliet has been charged with shooting at police during a SWAT situation.

A man has been charged with taking two people hostage and then shooting at responding police officers in the West Pullman neighborhood on Tuesday morning.

Steven Wade, 43, is accused of breaking into a home in the 12900 block of South Peoria Street and restraining a 44-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man at gunpoint, resulting in a SWAT response.

According to police, Wade allegedly began shooting at responding officers, despite the fact that no one was injured.

Wade was eventually apprehended and charged with nine counts of felony attempted murder. He was also charged with two counts of felony kidnapping and two counts of felony unlawful restraint.

Wade, from Joliet, is due in bond court on Thursday.

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A Chicago man has been charged in connection with a fatal shooting in East Garfield Park.

Last month, a man was charged in connection with a fatal shooting on Chicago’s West Side.

According to police, Luther Phillips was arrested on Monday for a shooting that occurred on January 20 during a gathering in East Garfield Park.

A 36-year-old man was killed at a home in the 300 block of North Hamlin Avenue around 10:30 p.m. when a fight broke out and Phillips pulled a gun, according to investigators.

Phillips was arrested in the 10000 block of O’Hare Street and is facing first-degree murder charges.

At this time, no additional information is available.

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