By JEFF MAYES and JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire
At least 12 people were shot to death in Chicago last week as a violent year continued with no sign of colder weather stopping the bloodshed in the streets.
November closed with 77 murder victims in the city, making it the third-deadliest month of the year, according to Chicago Police. October was second with 78 homicide victims, while the highest death toll of the year so far was in August, when more than 90 people were killed.
November saw a total 316 shooting incidents and 389 shooting victims, according to police, who claim the increase in violence is driven by five police districts on the South and West sides.
The city also passed the grim milestone of 700 homicides for the year in November, the first time has happened since 1998. Through the end of November, there were 714 homicides, according to Chicago Sun-Times Wire records.
Through Nov. 30, the city has had a total of 4,048 shooting victims in 3,315 shooting incidents in 2016, according to police.
“The levels of violence we have seen this year in some of our communities is absolutely unacceptable,” police Supt. Eddie Johnson said in a statement. “CPD will use every tool available to hold violent offenders accountable and will continue to work strategically to address crime and uphold its commitment to rebuild public trust.”
- Last week's final homicide was man shot to death Sunday afternoon in the Gresham neighborhood on the South Side. Delvon Weston, 18, was sitting in a parked vehicle at 2:03 p.m. in the 8800 block of South Marshfield when someone fired shots from a dark-colored SUV, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He suffered several shots to the chest and took himself to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead minutes later.
- Another man was shot to death Sunday afternoon in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. At 1:52 p.m., 37-year-old Rickey J. King was with a group when someone opened fire from across the the street in the 3800 block of West Adams, according to police and the medical examiner's office. King was shot in the head and was pronounced at the scene.
- Earlier Sunday, one man was killed and another wounded in a Homan Square neighborhood shooting on the West Side. The men were seated in a parked vehicle at 2:38 a.m. in the 3400 block of West Harrison when a silver car stopped in front of them, two males wearing hooded sweatshirts exited the car, and both opened fire, according to police. Erik Peoples, 30, suffered gunshot wounds to the head and body, and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities. The other man, 31, was shot in the arm and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.
- A man was killed in a shooting Saturday afternoon in the South Side Woodlawn neighborhood. Witnesses told police they saw two men get into a fight and heard a gunshot at 3:38 p.m. in the 6600 block of South Kenwood, according to police. Gregory Thomas-Bell, 56, was shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.
- A man was killed and five other people were wounded when two gunmen opened fire outside a house party in the South Chicago neighborhood early Saturday. It happened about 2:15 a.m. in the 8800 block of South Exchange, according to police. Dequan M. Barnett, 18, was shot in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office. A 20-year-old man shot in the groin was taken in critical condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, along with a 21-year-old man with an arm wound whose condition was stabilized, police said. A 25-year-old woman was taken to Stroger Hospital with a graze wound to the head; a 22-year-old man shot in the hand went to Trinity Hospital; and a 23-year-old man shot in the arm went to the University of Chicago Medical Center. Their conditions were stabilized.
- A 16-year-old boy died Friday night after he was shot multiple times in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the South Side. Diego Alvarado was outside about 6:40 p.m. near his home in the 4800 block of South Throop when he heard gunfire and was hit in the back, groin and arm, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Alvarado was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died less than an hour later.
- A 24-year-old man died after he was shot during a robbery Friday afternoon in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side. Two people walked up to Thomas Smith shortly before 2 p.m. in the 7300 block of South Lowe, demanded his things and then shot him in the abdomen, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Smith died at Stroger Hospital at 4:30 p.m.
- A man was shot and killed by Chicago Police officers, who saw him shoot two other people, one fatally, early Friday in Homan Square. Harrison District officers heard gunfire while on patrol about 12:25 a.m. and saw someone standing over another person and firing a gun near the intersection of Harrison and Central Park Avenue, police said. The officers got out of their squad car, “engaged the offender” and fatally shot him. He allegedly shot two other people, one of whom died. The other was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to the arm.
The person shot by police was identified as 37-year-old Cleotha Mitchell, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. The man allegedly shot by Mitchell was identified as 35-year-old Jeffery J. Banks. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
- One man was killed and another seriously wounded in a shooting early Wednesday morning in the Archer Heights neighborhood on the Southwest Side. The men were standing in the street at 2:14 a.m. Wednesday in the 4100 block of West 47th Street when a male fired shots from a gangway, according to police. Moises Antonio Gonzalez, 25, was shot in the chest, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the medical examiner’s office. A 22-year-old man was also shot in the chest and was taken to Mount Sinai in serious condition.
- A 20-year-old man was gunned down Tuesday evening in a West Garfield Park neighborhood drive-by attack. About 5:45 p.m., a dark car pulled up to Deshawn Adams in the 3500 block of West Van Buren and someone inside opened fire, hitting him multiple times in the head and chest, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Adams was pronounced dead at the scene.
- A 36-year-old man charged with stabbing three people in a Chinatown apartment for transients is being held on a $2 million bond. Raul Gonzalez allegedly wielded a 10-inch blade, killing Zenan “Sonny” Hernandez, 51, and injuring two other men, Cook County prosecutors said. At the time of the stabbings, Gonzalez was living in an apartment in the 200 block of West 23rd, prosecutors said. On Monday evening, he got in an argument with one of the men he would later stab, prosecutors said. What began as a verbal argument escalated when Gonzalez pulled the knife, prosecutors said.
Gonzalez stabbed Hernandez in the head, back and hand, prosecutors said. One of the victims received wounds to his groin, while the third victim was stabbed several times in the head, prosecutors said. Gonzalez was also injured when two of the victims used knives to defend themselves, prosecutors said. Hernandez was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The other men were taken to Stroger Hospital, where their conditions were stabilized.
- The week's first fatal shooting involved two teenage boys who were shot Monday afternoon in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side. About 2 p.m., the boys were on a sidewalk in the 1300 block of South Homan when a black vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire, hitting a 17-year-old in the chest and hand; and a 16-year-old in the buttocks, according to police. They were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where the older boy, identified as Ketrell Hill, died, according to authorities. The condition of the 16-year-old was stabilized.