HARVEY - Authorities in south suburban Harvey released new details Monday about two separate weekend shootings that are connected and left two people dead.
One of the incidents took place at a house party, where multiple people were wounded. Police believe the second shooting was an act of retaliation.
What we know:
The first shooting occurred shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday in the 14400 block of Des Plaines Street. According to police, two individuals arrived at a residence hosting a party and opened fire on the crowd.
Seven people were shot, including a 4-year-old boy who sustained non-life-threatening injuries. He was reported to be in stable condition.
Four additional victims were taken to area hospitals and were also listed in stable condition.
A licensed gun owner at the party returned fire, striking both suspects. One of the alleged gunmen was killed at the scene. According to the Cook County Medical Examiner, he was identified as 28-year-old Jeremiah Adtutu-Bofah, of Chicago.
The second suspect was wounded, hospitalized and later taken into police custody. Authorities have not disclosed their identity or announced any charges.
Then, a little before 5 a.m., police responded to reports of gunfire near the 200 block of Calumet Boulevard. A man was found inside a minivan who had multiple gunshot wounds.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
Police said on Monday they believe the second shooting was a retaliatory act related to the earlier incident.
Ongoing Rivalry:
Harvey officials said the recent shootings were not random acts of violence but instead stemmed from an ongoing conflict between two groups.
"We will not allow a senseless rivalry hold this city hostage," police said in part during a press conference on Monday.
Police released a timeline of events involving the suspects in the weekend shootings:
- Aug. 14, 2018 - The conflict began when individuals connected to one of the offenders were injured in a weekend shooting. One person was killed in the 14600 block of South Austin.
- July 28, 2019 - The same individual, previously injured, was shot in the 15600 block of South Myrtle.
- Sept. 28, 2020 - The same individual was targeted again. Shots were fired near the 14500 block of Kentucky, but he was not hit.
- Oct. 1, 2023 - The person’s cousin was shot and killed.
- Nov. 8, 2024 - Three gunmen followed the individual and his girlfriend. They fired at him but struck and killed the woman instead.
What's next:
The investigation is ongoing. We'll bring more updates to this story as they become available.
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