5 dead, 20 wounded in Christmas weekend shootings across Chicago

CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) - Five men were killed and at least 20 other people were wounded in shootings across Chicago over the four-day Christmas holiday weekend.

The weekend’s latest fatal shooting happened on Christmas Day in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side. Albert Abu, 57, was standing outside at 12:14 a.m. Monday on the sidewalk in the 8100 block of South Wabash when two males walked up and opened fire, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Abu, who lived on the same block, suffered gunshot wounds to the head and chest and was taken to St. Bernard Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:28 a.m.

About 6:15 p.m. Sunday, 37-year-old Corey Haggard was fatally shot when he attempted to rob a concealed carry permit holder outside a store in the South Loop, police and the medical examiner’s office said. The 31-year-old victim was walking out of a store in the 1200 block of South Jefferson when the attempted robber pulled out a gun and demanded money. After the suspect stole his property, the victim shot the man in the chest. The man – identified as Haggard, who lived in the Lawndale neighborhood – was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:37 p.m. Monday.

A man was gunned down at 5:31 p.m. Saturday in the Roseland neighborhood on the Far South Side. A witness said 19-year-old Janaria T. Moore was standing in the 11200 block of South Michigan when someone got out of a dark-colored SUV and fired shots before taking off in an unknown direction, police and the medical examiner’s office said. Moore suffered a gunshot wound to his back and was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:42 p.m.

About three hours earlier, a 21-year-old man was killed and a 25-year-old man was wounded in an Austin neighborhood shooting on the West Side. The men were sitting on a back porch at 2:34 p.m. in the 5200 block of West Ferdinand when another male walked up, fired shots and ran off in an unknown direction, authorities said. The younger man suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head and body and was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:12 p.m. His identity has not been released. The older man was shot in the ankle and taken in good condition to Stroger Hospital.

The weekend’s first fatal shooting happened about 4:45 a.m. Saturday and left a man dead and a woman wounded on the South Side. Jerry Minard, 24, and the 18-year-old woman were in a vehicle heading south in the 5900 block of South Western when a van pulled alongside them in traffic and someone inside fired shots, authorities said. Minard was struck in the head and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 1:42 p.m. Sunday. The woman was shot in the right leg and also taken to Stroger, where her condition was stabilized.

The weekend’s latest nonfatal shooting happened about 5 p.m. Christmas Day in the West Englewood neighborhood on the South Side. A 26-year-old woman was shot in the left leg and left hand in the 6300 block of South Hamilton, police said. She took herself to Holy Cross Hospital, but her condition was not known.

At least 17 other people were wounded in shootings across Chicago between 4 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Last year, 59 people were shot in Chicago over the holiday weekend, leaving 11 dead.