By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire
Two teenage boys were among at least 19 people who died last week as a result of violence in Chicago last week, as the epidemic of gunfire continued to take its toll.
While 2016 saw the most murders in Chicago in more than two decades, 2017 is starting off on an even bloodier pace. The death toll is already at 43 and more than 230 people have been shot in just over three weeks. Last year there were a total of 50 murders for the entire month.
Two of last week's victims were boys, both killed by gunfire in the South Side Englewood neighborhood.
Diabolique Anderson, 16, died Friday, two days after officers found him about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday on a sidewalk in the 6800 block of South Green, according to CHicago POlice and Cook County medical examiner's office. He had suffered gunshot wounds to the head and thigh. Witnesses saw four male suspects take off in a black SUV after the shooting. Anderson was pronounced dead at 2:28 p.m. Friday at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
One day earlier, 15-year-old Bruce Marshawn Owens was shot to death Thursday night. Shortly before 9 p.m., someone walked up to him in the 6900 block of South Stewart, shot him repeatedly in the chest and abdomen, and then took off in a dark-colored vehicle, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Owens was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he died at 11:39 p.m.
- A 19-year-old man died Sunday, more than six months after he was shot while allegedly robbing a man in the Portage Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side. About 11:40 p.m. June 30, 2016, a 28-year-old man was in his vehicle in the 4000 block of North Laporte when he was approached by a man with a gun who tried to rob him, according to police.
A struggle ensued and the gun went off, striking 19-year-old Anthony Hollins in the neck, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Hollins was initially taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, police said. He died at 9:36 p.m. Sunday at RML Specialty Hospital in Hinsdale, and an autopsy Monday found he died of complications of a gunshot wound to the neck. The 28-year-old man who shot him was not charged with a crime, police said.
- The week's final homicide was a man stabbed early Sunday in the South Chicago neighborhood. At 4:04 a.m., Reginald Boston, 26, was in a gangway in the 3200 block of East 91st Street when he was approached by someone he knew who pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the abdomen, police and the medical examiner’s office said. Boston showed up at Trinity Hospital, and was transferred to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m.
On Tuesday, a south suburban man was ordered held on a $500,000 bond, charged with killing Brown, who was the cousin of the suspect's ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend. Dalashawn Brown, 30, was outside the building of his ex-girlfriend’s apartment, as were Boston and his cousin, prosecutors said in court. At some point, Brown pulled a knife and stabbed Boston, who was later identified by Boston's cousin and other witnesses.
- A mother of two who worked at the UIC School of Dentistry was killed and two men wounded in a shooting early Sunday in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. About 3:15 a.m., they were inside a vehicle parked in the 3800 block of South St. Louis when another car pulled up, and a gunman got out to fire at least 16 shots before driving away, according to police. Natalia Ramirez, 27, was shot in the head and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she died. A 22-year-old man who was shot in the back was also taken to Mount Sinai, police said. A 28-year-old man was shot in the hip and was taken to Stroger Hospital. Both of their conditions had stabilized.
- A man was shot to death Saturday evening in the Fernwood neighborhood on the Far South Side. At 4:53 p.m., 21-year-old Tremayne Henderson was in the first block of West 104th Place when someone walked up and fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Henderson was shot in the chest and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 9:16 p.m., authorities said. He lived on the same block as the shooting.
- A man was shot to death late Saturday in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. The 23-year-old was sitting in a parked vehicle about 11:15 p.m. in the first block of North Sacramento when someone in another vehicle fired shots, according to police. The man was shot in the left thigh and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity had not been released as of THursday, pending notification of family.
- A 24-year-old man was shot to death Saturday afternoon in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. Jacob Norwood was sitting in a vehicle at 1:42 p.m. in the 2600 block of West Monroe when someone walked up to the vehicle and shot him in the neck, according to police and the medical examiner's office. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
- A man was killed and two more wounded in a Humboldt Park neighborhood shooting early Saturday. About 3:15 a.m., officers responding to a call of shots fired found two men lying in the street with gunshot wounds to the head in the 3900 block of West Thomas, police said. Armani Pickett, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. A 36-year-old man was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. Another man, 42, showed up at Norwegian American Hospital with an arm wound, police said. He was in good condition.
- An off-duty Robbins police officer shot and killed a man on the Far South Side, claiming the man tried to rob him early Friday morning, according to police. “An out-of-jurisdiction officer was in Chicago and was involved in some kind of altercation,” police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. The shooting occurred about 6:50 a.m. in the 12300 block of South Wallace. Joshua D. Jones, 20, of the 12200 block of South Lowe, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. An autopsy Saturday determined Jones died of a gunshot wound to the back.
- A 28-year-old man was shot to death inside his Gresham neighborhood home Thursday night on the South Side. Another person who lives in the home in the 8000 block of South Bishop had left at 6:30 a.m. and returned about 10 p.m. to find Chase Taylor dead with a gunshot wound to the head in the living room, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Taylor was pronounced dead at the scene. Area South detectives were conducting a homicide investigation.
- A man was shot to death Thursday morning in Englewood. Marvin Johnson, 37, walked outside in the 7000 block of South Carpenter at 9:11 a.m. and was approached by two suspects who shot him multiple times, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Johnson, who lived on the same block, was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead.
- A man was fatally shot Wednesday morning in the West Side Austin neighborhood. Quentin Perkins, 34, was sitting in the driver’s seat of a vehicle in the 4700 block of West Flournoy about 9:20 a.m. when someone walked up and fired several shots into his vehicle, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was shot in the abdomen and arm, and tried to drive away, but crashed farther down the block, police said. Perkins was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
- Another man was shot to death late Tuesday in Austin. Juwan Kemp, 26, was driving north at 11:27 p.m. in the 100 block of North Central when someone in a black SUV opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Kemp was shot in the head and body, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
- A 25-year-old man died about 12 hours after he was shot Tuesday night in the South Side Hyde Park neighborhood. Robert Jones was talking to three other people on a sidewalk about 9 p.m. Tuesday in the 5100 block of South Blackstone when one of them pulled a gun and shot him multiple times in the head and shoulders, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Jones was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he died at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday.
- Sylvester “Sly” Gardner was killed and two other people wounded in a shooting Tuesday night inside a Subway restaurant in the South Side Chatham neighborhood. It happened about 8:30 p.m. in the first block of West 79th Street when a gunman walked in, opened fire and then ran out, according to police. Gardner, 28, was shot multiple times, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Another man, 21, was shot in the arm and leg, and was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital. A 17-year-old girl was shot in the head and back, police said. Her condition was stabilized.
- An 18-year-old man injured in a shooting in the South Austin neighborhood on Saturday, Jan. 14, died two days later. A dark-colored car pulled up to Christopher Johnson Jr. about 5 p.m. Saturday in the 400 block of South Central Avenue, and someone inside shot him twice in the abdomen, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Johnson was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 1:35 p.m. Monday, authorities said.
- A 24-year-old man was fatally shot Monday morning in the South Austin neighborhood. About 11:30 a.m., Allante Elmore was on the porch of a home in the 4800 block of West Hubbard when a vehicle pulled up and someone inside fired shots, hitting him multiple times, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Elmore was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died an hour later. He lived on the block where he was killed.
- A 36-year-old north suburban man was shot to death earlier Monday in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood. Marlon Pollard was standing outside about 1:10 a.m. in the 2200 block of West Chicago Avenue when someone in a black SUV nearby opened fire, striking him in the abdomen, face and left leg, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. The Evanston resident was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died about an hour later, authorities said.