Charges filed against two men after Fuller Park barbecue shooting

CHICAGO (STMW) - Two men who police say fatally shot three people and wounded two others during a memorial barbecue at a South Side park last month in Fuller Park were charged Friday.

Anthony Jackson, 20, and Lawrence Brown, 22, were each charged with three felony counts of first-degree murder, two felony counts of first-degree attempted murder, and two felony counts of aggravated battery, Chicago Police said.

Brown, of the 3700 block of South Wells, is also charged with one felony count of unlawful use and possession of a weapon by a felon, police said.

Jackson, of the 4500 block of South Drexel, and Brown are scheduled to appear in bond court Saturday.

About 30 people were at the barbecue, commemorating someone who died in a crash years ago, when more than 15 shots rang out, witnesses at the scene said.

Five people from the group were shot about 12:10 a.m. Sept. 29 in the 300 block of West 42nd Street when two males opened fire from an alley, police said. Lawn chairs and beer cans could be seen strewn about the edge of the park at the end of the block.

Ayanna Northern, 22, was shot in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Her home address wasn’t available.

Antian Hardmon, 25, of the 7200 block of South Langley, was shot in the head, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:05 a.m. Sept. 29, authorities said.

Tyrone Spikes, 28, also suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 3:35 a.m. Sept. 29, authorities said. He lived in the 6300 block of South Ingleside.

Another woman, 24, was shot in the left leg and was taken to Stroger Hospital; while a 36-year-old man was shot in the leg and later walked into Provident Hospital. Both of their conditions were stabilized, police said.

A woman at the scene who asked to be identified only as “Shorty” said she held the 22-year-old woman in her arms before she died.

“She said, ‘Help me,’ her eyes glazed over, and that was it,” she said, adding she didn’t know the woman personally.

“Shorty,” who grew up in the neighborhood, added that her five nieces and nephews, all younger than 9, get mad at her for not letting them play in the park because it’s not safe.

“After the pow pow pow pow, we all hit the ground. But [the woman] didn’t get up,” she said. “I have to work at 8 a.m., but I’m not going to sleep because if I close my eyes, I’m going to see it … Her face is etched in my mind.”