By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire
A violent and bloody start to 2016 continued with at least 10 people killed by gunfire in Chicago last week, bringing the death toll from firearms to 30 in the first 17 days of the new year.
A 39-year-old man was fatally shot in a Northwest Side alley Sunday evening in the Hermosa neighborhood.
Emergency crews found Rene Ramirez unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the back just before 6 p.m. in the alley in the 1900 block of North Keeler, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Ramirez, who lived on the same block, was taken to Presence Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 7 p.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.
Henry Cruz was fatally shot Saturday night in the Irving Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side.
The 29-year-old Cruz, of the 800 block of North Hamlin, was shot in the head in the 3200 block of West Irving Park Road at 8:15 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
He was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:35 p.m., authorities said.
Quintae Little was fatally shot Saturday morning in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood on the Southwest Side.
The 34-year-old was shot in the right side of his torso at 11:48 a.m. in the 4500 block of South Cicero Avenue, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:46 p.m., authorities said. He lived in the 4500 block of South Lavergne.
A Far South Side man has been charged with the murder of Corey Ferguson, who was fatally shot when a fight broke out among family members in a Roseland neighborhood home Saturday morning.
Terry Givan, 55, got into a fight about 10:30 a.m. with several relatives inside his home in the 11200 block of South Normal, according to police.
Ferguson, 32, was shot in the chest and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 11:16 a.m., authorities said. He lived in Gary, Indiana.
A 17-year-old boy died after an East Garfield Park drive-by shooting Thursday evening. George Anderson was walking in the 3000 block of West Harrison about 5:30 p.m. when an SUV pulled up and someone inside shot him in the back and abdomen, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Anderson was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 6:08 a.m. Friday, authorities said. He lived in the 3400 block of West Flournoy.
Michael L. Fernandez was shot to death Thursday evening in the Little Village neighborhood.
The 19-year-old was standing on the sidewalk in the 2600 block of South Harding about 6:20 p.m. when he was shot in the head, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Fernandez, of the 1600 block of South California, was taken to Saint Anthony Hospital, where he was pronounced dead 15 minutes later.
Phillip Dupree was killed and his 62-year-old grandmother seriously wounded Wednesday afternoon in a shooting in Auburn Gresham. Both victims were shot in the head in the 7900 block of South Laflin about 2:50 p.m., according to police.
The woman was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in serious condition, but the 26-year-old Dupree, of the 3400 block of West 76th Place, was pronounced dead at the scene, according police and the medical examiner’s office.
Former De La Salle High School basketball and football star Elliott Brown was killed and a woman wounded in a shooting Wednesday afternoon on the Chicago Skyway bridge over the Calumet River.
Brown, 25, was driving a BMW coupe southbound on the Skyway (I-90) about 1:30 p.m. when it was approached by a black SUV as it crossed the bridge, authorities said.
Someone in the SUV opened fire, striking Brown multiple times. A 23-year-old woman passenger was shot in the left arm, police said. The SUV then continued southbound.
Brown of the 4000 block of South Calumet, was dead at the scene, police said. The woman was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where her condition was stabilized, police said.
Police believe the shooter and the victims had “prior contact” before the shooting.
An 18-year-old man was shot and killed Wednesday morning in Austin. Antonio Pollards was walking in the 4600 block of West Madison about 9:30 a.m. when someone opened fire from a passing vehicle, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Pollards suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 10:05 a.m.
A 21-year-old man was found shot to death in the street Monday night in the Austin neighborhood.
About 9:20 p.m., officers responding to a call of a person shot found 21-year-old Ronell Andrews lying facedown in the street in the 700 block of North Lavergne, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Andrews, who lived in the 600 block of North Lavergne, was shot several times in the chest and abdomen, and was dead at the scene, authorities said.