9 killed, 32 wounded in Chicago weekend shootings

CHICAGO (SUN TIMES MEDIA WIRE) - Shootings within city limits over the weekend left at least 9 people dead and 32 others wounded.

The latest fatal gun violence incident happened Sunday in South Shore.

About 1:55 p.m., two vehicles were northbound side by side in an alley in the 2000 block of East 69th Street when someone in one vehicle began firing at the other, Chicago police said.

A 26-year-old was struck in the back and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, police said. The Cook County medical examiner’s office hasn’t released details of his death.

The other man, 32, was struck in the abdomen and thigh and taken to the same hospital in critical condition, police said.

Hours earlier a 22-year-old man was killed in Austin on the West Side.

Jessie L. Curry was found unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the head about 6:15 a.m. in an alley in the 800 block of North LeClaire Avenue, police and the medical examiner’s office said.

Curry was pronounced dead at West Suburban Medical Center, authorities said. He lived in Homan Square.

On the West Side, a man was killed and a woman wounded in Lawndale.

They were outside about 3:35 a.m. in the 1500 block of South Drake Avenue when a male on foot fired shots at them, police said.

Jermaine King, 26, was hit in the chest and pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Hospital, authorities said. The 29-year-old woman was hit in the arm and taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition.

Saturday, two men were killed in a double shooting in South Chicago.

They were in a vehicle about 11 p.m. in the 8500 block of South Escanaba Avenue, police said. Shots rang out from two males who were on foot.

Matthew Mason, 26, was struck in the head and body, and 31-year-old Maurice Jackson was hit in the neck, police and the medical examiner’s office said. Both were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where they were pronounced.

Hours earlier, a man was shot to death while outside on the back porch of a home in Pilsen.

About 3:33 a.m., a witness heard gunfire and found 36-year-old Byron Ruiz unresponsive with several gunshot wounds to the body, police and the medical examiner’s office said.

Ruiz was pronounced dead on the scene, authorities said. An autopsy found he died from multiple gunshot wounds.

About 30 minutes earlier, a group of five was wounded, one fatally, in a drive-by in Gresham.

They were on the sidewalk about 2:58 a.m. in the 7900 block of South Loomis Boulevard when a gray sedan drove up, police said. Someone in the vehicle unleashed gunfire, striking the group, before driving off north on Loomis.

Daquan Cathary, 24, was shot in the chest and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where he later died, authorities said. Another man, 31, was hit in the back and chest and taken to the same hospital in critical condition, police said.

Two people had their conditions stabilized at the University of Chicago Medical Center: a 27-year-old man struck in the leg and a 29-year-old woman hit in the hip, police said.

A 37-year-old man who was grazed in the wrist refused medical treatment, police said.

Earlier, a man was shot to death outside the New Parie Hotel in Garfield Park on the West Side.

A witness told officials they heard gunshots and saw George Bingham, 57, on the ground next to a 2008 Chrysler minivan about 2:20 a.m. in the 2800 block of West Washington Boulevard, police and the medical examiner’s office said.

Bingham was pronounced dead on the scene, authorities said. Police didn’t have a description of who shot him.

A Sun-Times photographer on the scene said he appeared to be shot outside the New Parie Hotel.

On Friday, a man was fatally shot in Chatham on the South Side.

First responders found Raymont A. Hicks, 31, unresponsive in an alley with gunshot wounds to his head and chest, authorities said.

He was pronounced dead on scene, authorities said. He lived about a block away from where he was shot.

The shooting happened about 5:55 p.m. in the first block of East 87th Street, police said. A witness told investigators a gunman fired shots at Hicks and then fled in a black car.

Non-fatal gun violence wounded at least 26 others from 5 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.

Fourth of July weekend shootings killed five people and wounded 63 others.