9 dead, 19 wounded in Chicago weekend shootings

CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) - Nine people were killed, including the teenage grandson of U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, and at least 19 others were wounded in shootings across the city between Friday evening and Sunday night.

The congressman’s grandson was shot about 6:45 p.m. Friday in the 5600 block of South Princeton, authorities said. Javon Wilson, 14, was inside his Englewood neighborhood home when two people broke in, started arguing with the boy and then shot him in the head. Wilson was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:32 p.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Tariq Harris, 16, and Diajae Banks, 17, were charged as adults with first-degree murder and home invasion in the death of Wilson. Both were denied bail on Sunday.

Wilson was killed in a confrontation Friday night that began over a pair of gym shoes, Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Bryan Grissman said at a court hearing Sunday.

The weekend’s latest fatal shooting happened just after 5 p.m. Sunday in the East Side neighborhood on the Far South Side. Paul Cruz, 31, was outside in the 10300 block of South Avenue M when a dark-colored SUV pulled up and someone inside fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Cruz was shot in the abdomen and pronounced dead at the scene at 5:29 p.m. He lived in the 10300 block of South Avenue L.

Earlier Sunday on the opposite side of the city, a 28-year-old man was shot and killed in the West Rogers Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side. Officers called about 4:30 a.m. to the 2400 block of West Devon discovered Abimbola Sheleru lying in an alley, authorities said. Sheleru, who lived in the 6100 block of North Hermitage, was shot multiple times in the back and taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston. He was pronounced dead at 7:43 a.m.

A little over an hour earlier, a man was shot and killed in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side. Michael M. Gipson, 40, was arguing with an acquaintance who pulled out a gun and opened fire about 3:20 a.m. in the 7800 block of South Michigan, authorities said. Gipson was shot in the abdomen and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:11 a.m. He lived on the same block as the shooting.

Less than 30 minutes earlier, a 24-year-old man was gunned down in the Wicker Park neighborhood on the North Side. Matthew Rodgers was walking about 3 a.m. in the 1300 block of North Moorman when someone in a red Nissan Pathfinder fired shots, striking him multiple times, authorities said. Rodgers was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:48 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office. His home address was not immediately known.

About 12:50 a.m. Sunday, 22-year-old Odell Jones was shot to death in the West Englewood neighborhood on the South Side. Officers responding to a call of shots fired found him lying face down on the sidewalk in the 6400 block of South Oakley, authorities said. Jones, of the 6400 block of South Claremont Avenue, had been shot in the back and was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:17 a.m.

Saturday morning, an 18-year-old man was killed and a 13-year-old boy was wounded in a West Side Austin neighborhood shooting. The pair were walking at 11:15 a.m. in the 1400 block of North Latrobe when someone fired shots in their direction. Kevin Shorter, 18, was shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:31 a.m., authorities said. He lived in the 1700 block of North Lorel. The boy was shot in the face and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition.

Another fatal shooting happened about two hours earlier in Englewood. Simion Jackson, 22, was shot in the head at 9:12 a.m. in the 6700 block of South Morgan, authorities said. Jackson, of the 3800 block of West Ferdinand, was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:30 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.

A man was fatally wounded in a shooting shortly after midnight Saturday in the Gage Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Officers found 27-year-old about 12:15 a.m. in the 3500 block of West 57th Street, authorities said. Guadalupe Antonio Saucedo-Garcia was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:56 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.

The weekend’s most recent nonfatal shooting happened Sunday night in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood on the South Side. About 8:40 p.m., a 20-year-old man was walking north in the 2100 block of South Wolcott when someone in a nearby black SUV opened fire, striking him in the left leg, police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

Also this weekend, Chicago Police officers fatally shot a man who they saw shoot another man on the South Side.

About 11:50 p.m. Friday, CPD officers fatally shot Darius Jones, 26, in West Englewood when he refused to drop his gun after they saw him shoot another 26-year-old man during a fight in the 2000 block of West 69th Street, according to police.

Both men were taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where Jones died and the initial victim was in critical “but stable” condition, officials said. The Independent Police Review Authority is investigating the officers’ use of force, but has not released a statement.

At least 17 more people were shot in other attacks across Chicago between 4 p.m. Friday and 9 p.m. Sunday.