At least 18 people were killed in violence in Chicago last week, including an elderly west suburban businessman who often returned to his West Side neighborhood, where he advocated against violence and spent time trying to improve the relationship between the community and the police.
Sun-Times file photo
It remains unclear whether Ronald L. Allen was the intended target of the shooting that took his life as he drove home from a card game with friends early Friday in North Austin. About 2:20 a.m., someone opened fire on his vehicle in the in the 1300 block of North Laramie, striking him in the side, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. His vehicle crashed into two parked cars, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
Allen, who grew up in the Austin, was one of the first black owners of an insurance agency backed by a major national company, Allstate, before retiring about seven years ago. He was also an activist whose goal was to help repair the relationship between police and communities with the group Urban Partnership. The Naperville resident, a graduate of Chicago State University, also hosted “The Financial Forum” on WVON-AM, and served as a precinct committeeman in Naperville Township and was active in the DuPage County NAACP.
Family members said it was not unusual for Allen to be playing cards in his old neighborhood. He was a big fan of the game Bid Whist, and even wrote a book, “The Evolution of Bid Whist,” on the history and strategy of the game. Allen was 73.
- Also shot to death in the city last week was a 25-year-old man with a 20-0 record as professional boxer. His co-manager said Ed “Bad Boy” Brown“was going to be a world champion.” Instead, the Garfield Park native, who wore a Chicago flag uniform when he fought, was gunned down early Saturday., just half a mile from his home, according to police and co-manager, Mike Cericola.
Brown was sitting in a parked vehicle with a 19-year-old woman, his cousin, about 1:10 a.m. in the 3200 block of West Warren when a vehicle pulled up and someone inside shot at them, police said. Brown was shot in the head, and the woman was struck in the leg. Both were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital. Brown was initially put on life support, but was pronounced dead at 4:04 p.m. Sunday, according to the medical examiner’s office. The woman was listed in good condition.
- The week's final homicide was a man shot to death Sunday night in his home in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side. About 11:45 p.m., officers arrived in the 8100 block of South Ellis and found 45-year-old Darren Smith unresponsive, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene.
- A west suburban man was killed and two others wounded in a shooting inside a restaurant earlier Sunday in the Parkway Gardens neighborhood on the South Side. They were in Sammy's Grill and Restaurant in the 6300 block of South King Drive at 3:07 a.m. when two suspects entered and opened fire, according to police. Antron T. Young, 23, of Naperville was shot in the face and was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other men were wounded and took themselves to St. Bernard Hospital, where their conditions were stabilized.
- A 22-year-old man was fatally shot early Sunday in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side, police said. Shortly before 2 a.m., Deangelo Martin was standing with a group of people in the 7300 block of South Yale when gunfire erupted and he was shot multiple times in the neck, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. A friend took Martin to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead an hour later, authorities said.
- A 40-year-old man was stabbed to death Saturday night in the Jefferson Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side. Bartiomiej R. Barczyk was stabbed in the chest in a building in the 5500 block of West Higgins by another man during an argument at 11:37 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Barczyk was taken to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where he was pronounced dead. Police said the stabbing was domestic-related, but no charges have been filed.
- A 16-year-old boy died hours after being shot Friday evening inside a Lawndale neighborhood apartment building on the West Side. About 6:15 p.m., Christopher Brandon-Lucket was with two other people in the basement of a building in the 1500 block of South Kedzie when he was shot in the face, authorities said. Brandon-Lucket was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 2:19 a.m. Saturday. Police said no one was in custody for the shooting.
- A 19-year-old man died Friday, one day after he was shot repeatedly Thursday afternoon in the Marquette Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Carl A. Jones was standing outside at 2:09 p.m. in the 6300 block of South Kedzie when someone walked up, fired shots, then ran away, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was shot in the head, chest, and shoulder; and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died at the hospital at 6:15 p.m. Friday.
- A man was fatally shot Friday afternoon in the East Hyde Park neighborhood on the South Side. At 2:50 p.m., 33-year-old Curtis Nowells was walking in a park in the 5400 block of South Cornell when someone wearing a mask walked up from behind and opened fire before running away, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Nowells was found unresponsive by officers and pronounced at the scene.
- A man was fatally shot Thursday evening in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side. Reginald G. Smith, 48, was found unresponsive at 7:33 p.m. in a parking lot in the 7800 block of South Cottage Grove, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He had suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead an hour later.
- A man was shot to death early Thursday in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. Officers responding to reports of shots fired at 1:16 a.m. found 19-year-old Marqual Donell Bailey with gunshot wounds to the head and chest in the 300 block of South Whipple. Bailey was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
- A 22-year-old man was fatally shot Wednesday night in the South Shore neighborhood, according to authorities. Officers responding to a call of shots fired at 8:05 p.m. in the 6800 block of South Cornell found Trayvon M. Dickerson in a gangway with gunshot wounds to the head and abdomen. He was dead at the scene.
- A Georgia man died after he was shot while driving Wednesday morning, then crashing his vehicle in the South Side Burnside neighborhood. Mandle Lee Johnson III, 25, was driving about 6:20 a.m. and crashed into a bus shelter in the 9300 block of South Cottage Grove, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He had been shot three times in the lower abdomen and once in the lower back. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died less than an hour later.
- A man was shot to death Tuesday night on the South Side. Shortly after 8 p.m., officers responding to a shooting in the 2800 block of East 79th Street found 30-year-old Addonis Johnson on a sidewalk with gunshot wounds to the chest, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Johnson was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died.
- A 51-year-old man was found fatally shot early Tuesday in the Cragin neighborhood on the Northwest Side. Officers responding to calls of a person down at 1:32 a.m. in the 2500 block of North Lavergne found Gregorio Aguilar with a gunshot wound to the lower abdomen, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Aguilar was pronounced dead at the scene.
- A man beaten to death with a bottle Monday evening in the West Englewood neighborhood was identified as 41-year-old Charles Johnson. Paramedics called for police after finding him about 6:30 p.m. near the intersection of 63rd Street and Ashland, according to police. He had been struck in the head with a bottle during a fight. Johnson died at Stroger Hospital.
- A man and a teenage boy were found shot to death Monday evening inside a vehicle in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the South Side. Officers discovered 19-year-old Leny Cervantes, and 17-year-old Jamie Cervantes inside a vehicle about 6:15 p.m. in the 4500 block of South Wolcott, according to authorities. The older man had been shot in the head, and the teen had been shot in the abdomen. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.